Lost Paradise
by Kaliegh
Summary: Features Chris Jericho and Edge. Written by PLA and Kaliegh. Please read and review.Thanks!! =) ~*~FINAL UPDATE-- Part V added 05/24!! ~*~
1. Default Chapter

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Chapter One  
  
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Calliope jumped, smearing her lipstick across her face when she heard the sudden pounding on her hotel room door. "Come on Calli, we're going to be late!" She then heard the deep voice on the other side yell through the door.  
  
"Damn it!" Calliope cursed softly. She grabbed a tissue, trying to clean up the lipstick on her face without ruining the rest of her make-up as she walked to the door. Although she already knew who was at the door, she quickly checked the security hole and saw Adam fidgeting from foot to foot as he waited for her to open up.  
  
"About time." Adam grumbled when she finally opened the door and let him in.  
  
"Are you ready? We have to get going to meet Chris and Chase before catching that flight to...where the hell are we going again?"  
  
Calliope rolled her eyes and sighed with exasperation. "Puerto Rico. Tickets go on sale for the special pay-per-view that is being held there in two months. You and Chris are going down there to promote it." She told him as she walked back into the bathroom. She liked Adam, who was a well known Wwf wrestler better known to most as Edge. But sometimes he could be a little more than overbearing. And this was one of those times.  
  
"And by the way, we have more than a half-hour before the limo arrives to take all of us to the airport. What is your big hurry?" She asked as she wiped the lipstick off her face and began reapplying the make-up that had gotten ruined in the process.  
  
"I want to get a jump on the rush hour traffic." Adam answered as he lowered his lanky frame into one of the chairs. He looked up when Calliope came out of the bathroom and gave him a funny look. Why the hell was he worried about the traffic? He didn't have to drive.  
  
"Besides, the limo is already downstairs waiting. Chris and Chase are down there as well." He added before Calliope could say anything.  
  
"Well, then grab my bags and let's get going." Calliope laughed when she heard Adam grumble, but she knew it was all in good humor. Despite the way that they carried on sometimes, they really were good friends who genuinely liked working with the other. There wasn't much that he wouldn't do for her, or her for him.  
  
*****  
  
"Oh great." Chase Larmore grumbled when she saw Adam walking in her direction.  
  
"I'll second that." Chris agreed when his eyes touched on Calliope Cooper following behind Adam.  
  
Chase spun around and glared at Chris. "Calliope is not that bad. You could at least try to be civil toward her for once since you are going to be spending the next five days in her presence."  
  
"Hey, I try to be nice to her, but she always, always finds something to argue with me about." Chris said, knowing that it was as false as it sounded. Yes, Calliope did start some of the arguments that they had, but he was just as guilty as she was.  
  
Chase fell silent as she thought about it for a minute. "You know what I think your problem really is, Chris? I think deep down you really have a thing for Calliope and for whatever unknown reason, you won't admit it." Chase told him.  
  
Chris snorted, not believing that she would even suggest such a thing. "Yeah, just as much as you have a thing for Adam and just won't admit it. Ya know, maybe you should follow your own advice and try being civil toward Adam for once."  
  
"Ha!" Chase laughed humorlessly. "Even if I was stranded on a deserted island with him, I would not be civil toward him!" She ground out between clenched teeth before she turned back around and smiled at Calliope as she stepped up to her.  
  
Chase and Calliope had been friends since they'd met two years ago when Calliope had landed a job in the Public Relations department in the Wwf. While Chase trained her in for the job, they soon found out that they had many things in common apart from their jobs. They had the same tastes in music, food, movies, and sometimes, men. They'd become even better friends when they begun representing Adam and Chris who often traveled and did promotional work together. And most likely than not, where ever Chris and Adam went, Calliope and Chase went.  
  
"Well, looks like we're all ready to get going." Chase said to Calliope.  
  
"Oh, I know I am." Calliope replied, a smile curving her lips. She'd never been to Puerto Rico and had been looking forward to this trip since she was first informed of it months ago. "I just have to make sure that we have everything in order for the flight and hotel once we get there. Then we can get going."  
  
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Chapter Two  
  
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"Alright you two, geez! You are worse than children." Chase exclaimed a short while later as they pulled up to the airport. The whole way there Calliope and Chris had been arguing back and forth at who got the window seat.  
  
"She started it!" Chris whined and pointed at Calliope who glared back at him. Chase groaned and rolled her eyes.  
  
"If you two can't get along for ten minutes, how in the hell are you going to make it five days?" she asked, shooting Chris a look to shut his mouth when she saw he was getting ready to make a smart assed comment.  
  
"So I guess we should b more like you and Adam then. Man that would be a silent trip." Chris shot back, referring to the way neither Adam nor Chase had said a word to each other.  
  
Chase shrugged, not even bothering to look in Adam's direction. "I don't particularly have anything to say to him at he moment."  
  
"Likewise." Adam mumbled from his seat, speaking for the first time since they all got in the limo.  
  
Calliope sighed loudly as she grabbed her carry on bag and stepped out of the limo, nearly sighing this time with relief. Personally, she didn't know how they were going to make it five days alone. Usually things were fine if they had other people to travel with, but this time it was just going to be the four of them…alone for five days.  
  
They all walked silently through the airport, each lost in their own thought. Why they didn't get alone, it was hard to say. Chris and Adam were good friends and didn't have any problem, and neither did she and Chase. But for some reason she and Chris fought like cats and dogs, where Chase and Adam constantly gave each other the silent treatment, neither acknowledging the others' existence.  
  
Chase stepped up to the counter and presented their tickets as the other three stayed behind. A few minutes later she walked back over to them, looking frustrated and confused.  
  
"What's gong on?" Calliope asked, sensing it wasn't anything good.  
  
"It seems the flight is over booked and we're being bumped." She informed them, then braced herself for the reaction she knew she was going to get.  
  
"What?" Chris and Adam yelled together.  
  
"How in the hell did that happen?" Adam demanded, glaring at Chase as if it were her fault. She glared right back at him, refusing to let him intimidate him with those eyes or his height advantage.  
  
"Gosh, I don't know Adam. If I did do you think we'd be in the predicament?" She asked through clenched teeth, before turning towards Chris, ready to go back to ignoring Adam.  
  
"Chris, let me use your cell phone, I have an idea." She said, holding out her hand.  
  
"Oh this ought to be good." Adam mumbled under his breath, catching an elbow in the ribs from Calliope.  
  
Chase walked away from them a few minutes so she could talk in private and after hanging up she moved back towards the group, a smile lighting curving her lips.  
  
"Problem solved." She announced as she slapped the small phone back in Chris's hands. "Mr. McMahon said his private jet is still here and we are more than welcome to use it."  
  
"Oooh, the private jet! Way to go!" Calliope grinned at her. "Come on, let's get going. The sooner we get on the plane, the sooner we get to Puerto Rico!" she nearly bounced with excitement.  
  
"This is gong to be a long, excruciating trip." Chris grumbled as he picked up his bag and Chase's.  
  
"Be nice." Chase hissed at him.  
  
"Oh, and I guess that was you being sweet as peaches and cream to Adam earlier huh?" Chris grinned down at her, holding back the laugher at her rolling her eyes.  
  
"Remember what I said, Chris." She threw over her shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I remember. Not even on a desert island." Chris said as he trailed behind her, shaking his head with a laugh.  
  
He had known Chase since she first started working for the Wwf, and they had quickly become good friends. They were often teased that they acted more like bother and sister than Shane and Stephanie. He was very protective over her, just as she was over him. He was closer to her than anyone else, even before she had been assigned his PR. Vince had noticed the chemistry between them and was the main reason he had put them together.  
  
Lost in his own thoughts, he hadn't realized that he had walked upon Calliope until he ran into her, nearly knocking her off her feet.  
  
"Watch where you're going." Calliope snapped at him once she regained her footing.  
  
Christ looked down at her for a moment, then shook his head. "Then get the hell out of my way." He threw back before moving around her and walking off.  
  
"Very excruciating." He reemphasized to himself.  
  
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Chapter Three  
  
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"Wow, this is even more posh than I imagined." Calliope gushed in awe as she looked around the interior of the jet. It was fully equipped with everything...even a good size bar.  
  
"Yeah, and there are even enough windows so you can have your precious window seat." Chris commented, sarcastically referring back to the argument that they'd had on the drive to the airport.  
  
Calliope spun around and glared at Chris for a moment. "Chris, I really don't know what you are trying to accomplish here. And really I don't care so would you Please shut the hell up!!!" She fairly yelled at him before she turned back around and took one of the seats by a window.  
  
"God, I can't believe I have to spend the next five days with him." Calliope mumbled to herself as she rubbed at her temples with her fingertips in an effort to ease off the building headache.  
  
Chase slapped her hand to her mouth to keep the threatening laughter from escaping. One thing that Calliope always did was mock Chris' catch phrases and it bugged the hell out of him.  
  
  
  
Seeing that Chris was about ready to explode, Chase quickly got herself calmed down and placed her hand on his shoulder. She sighed with relief a few moments later when she felt him relax somewhat. Chase sighed again, this time with annoyance when Chris grumbled something about Calliope 'starting it' as he walked away and flopped himself down in one of the seats. Looking at him, Chase nearly laughed out loud. With his arms crossed over his chest and his bottom lip sticking out slightly, he really reminded her of a little kid pouting.  
  
"Hey! Watch it!" Chase hissed when Adam suddenly brushed roughly passed her. "Do you not see me standing here? I am not invisible! Are you blind?"  
  
Adam turned and stared at Chase for a moment, his hands clenched into tight fists on either side of his body. "I needed to get by. You were in the way." He simply stated, acting as if he had not done anything wrong. He opened his mouth to say more but was cut off when Calliope grabbed the back of his T-shirt and jerked him toward her.  
  
"Sit down and shut up!" She ordered, pointing to the seat beside hers as if she were commanding a puppy rather than a human being.  
  
Before she took her seat again, Calliope glanced over at Chase, who gave her an apologetic smile that she knew was in regard to Chris' behavior. Calliope returned the smile, silently apologizing for Adam's behavior toward Chase. Chase just rolled her eyes heavenward, which made Calliope laugh, which in turn made Chase laugh. She received an angry glare from Adam, and Calliope one from Chris.  
  
*****  
  
Chase jolted awake, hearing the sound of a soft whimper of fear two hours after the jet had taken off. She hadn't even realized that she'd fallen asleep. She looked over at Chris, who looked annoyed.  
  
"What's going on?" She asked Chris.  
  
"Little Miss scardy cat over there can't handle a little turbulence." Chris replied as he gestured pointedly toward Calliope.  
  
"See?" he questioned irritably when the small jet rocked roughly again, causing Calliope to cry out in fright again. Adam did his best to keep her calm, but she was nearly hysterical.  
  
Chase looked at Chris, her own eyes wide when the jet didn't stop shaking like it had before. "Chris, I think that this is a little more than just turbulence."  
  
No sooner than the words were spoken, they heard the engines die. The jet hovered in the air for several moments before it began spiraling toward the earth below.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Four  
  
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"What the fu--" Chris' curse was cut off as the plane lurched forward, throwing both Calliope and Adam out of their seats and directly into Chase and Chris. He easily caught Calliope, who without thinking, threw her arms around him and held on for dear life.  
  
Chase, on the other hand, was completely unprepared to take Adam's full weight when he slammed against her, and the momentum of his body knocked them both off her seat and onto the cabin floor. She heard Adam swear as he tried to turn them so he would take the impact, but was unable too in time.  
  
Although she knew the plane was going down and they were in a world of trouble, the only thing Chase was aware of was the fact that she couldn't breathe once she hit the floor with Adam on top of her. The air had been completely driven from her lungs, and she was unable to fill them with him laying on her the way he was, but with the way the plane was plummeting, he was unable to move.  
  
Her last thought as blackness over took her was at least she wouldn't be conscious when the plane crashed.  
  
***  
  
Chris groaned softly, wondering why in the hell his bed was rocking. And the more he focused, why in the hell was his bed so hard. And better yet, why was his entire body sore.  
  
He shot up into a sitting position, ignoring the protest his body made at the sudden movement, but the water that just splashed in his face was a little more of a pressing matter. Suddenly, he remembered.  
  
"Shit!" He exclaimed, looking around the dark cabin, seeing it was slowly filling with water. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he was able to make out Chase, Calliope and Adam, who were strewn across the cabin.  
  
He sighed with relief when he saw Adam stirring, and struggling to get his bearings. With the way the plane was rocking, most likely due to the ocean waves, he was unable to get to his feet, so he crawled over to where the girls lay. He quickly checked both their pulses, his own heart finally started to beat again when he found strong steady pulses in both Chase and Calliope.  
  
He looked up when he sensed Adam kneeling next to him. "They're going to be okay." Chris said, before Adam could ask. "You alright?"  
  
Adam nodded. "I guess for what we just went through. Little disoriented. Looks like we need to get the hell out of here though." He said, motioning towards the rapidly rising water.  
  
"Alright, every plane is equipped with a life raft, right?" Chris asked. Adam shrugged, looking around frantically.  
  
"There has to be one! What do other people do when planes go down?" Chris said more to himself, running a hand over his face.  
  
"Don't really know, this is a first for me." Adam responded, trying to fight down the rising panic he was feeling.  
  
"Okay, help me move the girls to the seats, then I'll look for the raft, you check on the pilot." Adam nodded and got unsteadily to his feet. Before he could move Chris grabbed his arm.  
  
"Whatever we do, we need to be quick about it. I don't think we have much time." Chris said, his eyes mirroring the fear he saw in Adam's.  
  
***  
  
Calliope swatted at the hand that was tapping her cheek, frowning with out opening her eyes when she heard Adam calling her name.  
  
"It's early, Adam, go back to sleep." She grumbled, trying to roll away from him. She was just about to drift off again, when her eyes snapped open, just as Adam started shaking her.  
  
"What the hell are you doing in my room?" she demanded as she looked up into his eyes.  
  
"Thank god!" Adam exclaimed as he hauled her into his arms and held her tight. Although Chris had assured him that both she and Chase would be just fine, he hadn't really believed it until she opened her eyes.  
  
"What is gong on?" she asked, as she slowly sat up and took in her surroundings. Her eyes went wide when she realized they were all in a little raft, surrounded by nothing but water and the dark night sky.  
  
"Oh my god!" she gasped her hand flying to her mouth as she remembered. "We crashed!"  
  
Adam nodded, hugging her tighter when he felt her trembling. "Yeah, but luckily we are all okay." He thought it unnecessary to mention that the pilot hadn't made it. They would deal with that if and when Chase or Calliope asked.  
  
"But--" she started, but Adam stopped her.  
  
"No buts. We're going to be fine." He said sternly, in a tone that she knew better than to argue with. Nodding, and snuggled closer to him, allowing her fears to build inside her, but for the time being keeping them inside.  
  
Adam looked over at Chris who had Chase wrapped in his arms. She had just regained consciousness a few moments before, assuring them both that she was fine.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" Chris asked softly for the tenth time. Chase smiled weakly at him.  
  
"Why don't you ask me that when we're not floating in a life raft, drifting off to God knows where." She said dryly. For all they had been through, she knew they were extremely lucky, and although she was sure, just like the rest of them, she really was fine…all things considered.  
  
"Hey, look at it this way," Chris grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "'Cast Away' is your favorite move, and here you are!"  
  
Chase shook her head, not really finding the humor at the moment. "I like to watch the movie, Chris, I don't want to live it."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Five  
  
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"I wonder if anyone knows what happened yet." Calliope wondered out loud to no one in particular.  
  
"Well, doesn't the pilot keep radio contact with some one during the flight?" Chase questioned in reply.  
  
Calliope's eyes suddenly grew huge as realization set in. "Where is the pilot?" She lifted her head from Adam's chest and asked. When he glanced hesitantly over at Chris before anything, she and Chase instantly knew that he hadn't survived the crash.  
  
Adam looked back down at Calliope, his eyes meeting hers. "He didn't make it, Calli." He said quietly.  
  
Although Calliope had known deep down before Adam answered her question concerning the pilot, it didn't stop the tears from filling her eyes. The hysteria that she had been fighting to keep down suddenly burst forward.  
  
"No one is ever going find us! We are going to die out here!" Calliope sobbed hysterically.  
  
Chris turned his head and glared at Calliope. "Will you shut the hell up! You are not helping the situation with your dramatics!" He yelled at her, the sound of her crying grating at his already shot nerves.  
  
Chase shot Chris an angry look. That kind of behavior was uncalled for, especially in this situation where they all had to keep it together or they would all end up dead. She'd always been calm...sometimes eerily calm in intense situations, but she could certainly understand the panic that Calliope was feeling. It didn't help that barely six months ago, Calliope's parents, and her two younger sisters had been killed in an automobile accident. She'd been much more sensitive...or emotional about things since then. Without thinking Chase moved to comfort her friend. The small raft rocked precariously with her movements.  
  
"Jesus Christ! Are you trying to turn us into shark bait? Sit down!" Adam yelled at Chase, who immediatly sat down when she realized her mistake.  
  
Chase said nothing. She just sat there and glared at him for several moments. She had nothing to say to him. Reaching out, she placed her hand over Calliope's, giving her what comfort she could all the while never taking her eyes off of Adam. Adam looked away from Chase's. It seemed that lately Chris and Calliope's fighting had been wearing off on Chase and himself. He thought to himself that he liked it better when they were silent toward each other.  
  
As Adam gently ran his hand over her back and talked softly to her, Calliope eventually calmed down and drifted into a restless sleep.  
  
"So do you think we'll be found?" Chase asked Chris a short time later. She continued to completely ignore Adam.  
  
"Of course we will be." Chris smiled reassuringly down into her eyes, although on the inside he was filled with doubt.  
  
"Before it's too late?" Chase questioned again, putting a strong emphasis on her words.  
  
Chris flinched slightly as Chase's words. They had been able to get two of their bags onto the raft as well, but there was no food or water in them. None of them had eaten since early that morning. It would only be a matter of hours before hunger and dehydration set in. Drinking the ocean water was out of the question as it was salt water and that would only make things worse for them. Shaking his head, Chris cleared those thoughts from his head. He needed to remain positive for her sake.  
  
"Everything is going to be fine. I promise." Chris again assured her. One way or another, they would make it through this.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Six  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chase slowly opened her eyes and raised her head. With a soft sigh she laid her head back down when she realized that Chris, Adam and Calliope were asleep as well. She was just about to fall back asleep when she realized something was different.  
  
She rubbed her eyes as she sat up, then she gasped. "Jesus." She breathed softly as she looked around.  
  
No wonder something had been off. No longer were they drifting at sea. During their slumber, they had washed up on a beach.  
  
"Wow." She whispered as she looked around. It was beautiful…almost like something out of a fantasy, or a Hollywood movie. She half expected to see Tom Hanks running down the beach with Wilson the Volleyball.  
  
She shook her head, bringing herself back to reality. "Reality is so much more depressing." She mumbled to herself as she stood up and stepped over the side of the raft, wanting, no, needing to stretch her legs.  
  
She groaned as she muscles screamed in protest at her. "Oooh." she muttered, gritting her teeth against the aches and pains in her body. Once she got herself standing straight, she took a moment to really look at their surroundings.  
  
"Why do I get the feeling there isn't a nice hotel somewhere around here." She said to herself. The soft white beach stretched as far as the eye could see both ways, with rocks and a thick dense forest meeting the beach.  
  
"Were you going to wake us, or just let us get pulled back out to sea." A voice said from behind her.  
  
Chase's expression immediately hardened and she closed her eyes, mentally counting to ten. She had been told a long time ago that counting would give you a few seconds to calm down…it didn't seem to be working.  
  
She turned around and met Adam's eyes. Instead of yelling at him, like she really wanted to do, she smiled, catching him completely off guard.  
  
"Adam," she said softly, almost sweetly. "You know me better than that. I would never do something like that to Chris and Calliope."  
  
She brushed past him quickly, walking back to the raft where Calliope was just getting out, leaving Adam silently fuming behind her.  
  
"Where's Chris?" Chase asked, not seeing him anywhere near. Calliope shrugged.  
  
"Exploring, I guess." She muttered. Suddenly her face lit up. "Hey, you don't suppose this is like, I don't know, the island off Jurassic Park and he got eaten by a dinosaur, do you?"  
  
Chase crossed her arms over her chest. "Not funny, Calliope." She admonished, although she was biting back the smile.  
  
Calliope sighed. "I know." She grumbled. "So, where the hell are we?" she asked, changing the subject.  
  
"You mean you don't have the map? Damn, who forgot to pack the map?" Chase threw up her hands.  
  
"You starting to sound like Chris. And believe me, that's not a good thing." Calliope laughed.  
  
Chase sighed as she walked over and stood beside her friend. "I know, I'm sorry. This whole situation has me a little on edge, you know."  
  
"Oh believe me, I know and completely understand." Calliope said as she rubbed her temples. "What are we going to do?" she asked softly.  
  
Chase shook her head. "I haven't a clue."  
  
Suddenly Calliope started giggling. Chase looked over at her as if she had lost her mind, but she only proceeded to laugh harder. Chase looked around, hoping either Chris or Adam was near by, since she was afraid Calliope had officially snapped. Unfortunately neither was in sight.  
  
"Uh, Calli?" she asked. Calliope wiped the tears of laughter from her face.  
  
"Sorry, I just had a though. Here we though five days in Puerto Rico was going to be something…and look at us now!"  
  
"Calli, we're going to be fine." Chase assured her, knowing she had to stay strong for her friend.  
  
"Sure we are." Calliope nodded. "As long as you can keep from killing Adam and I can keep from killing Chris."  
  
***  
  
"Now this is much better." Calliope exclaimed later as she sat down next to Adam. Evening was setting in, bringing with it cooler temperatures. Through out the rest of the day they had all been busy pulling the raft to safety, doing a little exploring to make sure they were safe.  
  
Deeper in to the forest they had come upon a spring, complete with its own waterfall. They all had to agree that under normal circumstances, the island would be paradise.  
  
"How you holding up?" Adam asked as he put an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"Better." She admitted, smiling at him. "Now that we're more 'settled', it doesn't seem so bad. Besides, I'm sure they are out there looking for us even as we speak, and we won't be here much longer. So, for the time being, I'm going to pretend I'm on vacation."  
  
Adam grinned and nodded. "I like your thinking, Calli. And this place is the perfect vacation spot."  
  
"Exactly!"  
  
"Uh, you know, I hate to bring it up, but I've noticed that you and Chris have slipped into the kind of communication that Chase and I have." He grinned when she winced at Chris's name.  
  
"We have no communication. We're not speaking." She clarified.  
  
"That's what I meant."  
  
"Oh yeah, well what about you? It's like roll reversal lately. You and Chase have been at each other's throats all day!" she shot back. "I liked it better when you two didn't talk."  
  
"Now you know how Chase and I used to feel about you and Chris." Adam told her, ducking when she took a playful swing at him.  
  
"You know, if you gave Chase half a chance, you'd realize how great she really is." She suggested, a hopeful look on her face.  
  
"I'm sure." Adam grunted.  
  
"I'm serious, Adam! I'm sick of the constant arguing, and we honestly don't know how long we're going to be here. You need to at least try and get along with her!"  
  
"I thought you just said we wouldn't be here long." Adam countered.  
  
Calliope rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean." She ground out wearily.  
  
Adam fell silent for a few moments, then sighed. "Alright, I'll make you a deal." Calliope eyed him warily but motioned for him to continue.  
  
"I'll try to be nice to Chase, and not get into constant arguments with her, IF you promise to do the same with Chris." He said. He cut her off when he saw she was getting ready to say something. "This includes having a conversation with him. No more silent treatments."  
  
He couldn't help but chuckle when her face immediately fell. "Oh all right, fine." She reluctantly agreed. "It's a deal."  
  
She and Adam both looked up when Chris walked over to them. He barely spared her a glance as he said, "I was thinking we should probably go through our bags and see what kind of supplies we have." He said, looking at Adam.  
  
Calliope clenched her fists when she saw the look Adam shot her way. Taking a deep breath, she got to her feet and forced a bright smile for Chris.  
  
"That's a wonderful idea, Chris!" she said a little too cheerfully. "I'll just go get Chase." She turned and started through the trees to the spring, where Chase was taking her turn washing off.  
  
"Huh?" Chris asked, looking completely dumbfounded as he stared after her retreating form. 


	2. Lost Paradise -- Part II

~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You know Calliope really isn't as bad as what you think. Maybe instead of always yelling at her, you should try to get to know her." Adam said softly to Chris, who was still staring in confusion in the direction where she had disappeared into the jungle.  
  
"Easier said than done, Copeland." Chris tried to disagree, but fell silent when Adam shot him a look of reproach.  
  
"Well, it would make things easier." Chris admitted as he ran his fingers through his hair.  
  
"And things would be even easier if you and Chase tried to get along." Chris said after a few moments.  
  
"Yeah, you area right." Adam agreed and saw the shocked expression on Chris' face. He thought about telling Chris about the deal that he'd made with Calliope, but decided against it at the last second. Chris was more apt to get along with Calliope if he thought that she was being nice to him on her own accord. Adam was snapped out of his thoughts when Chris suddenly burst out laughing.  
  
"What?" Adam questioned.  
  
It took Chris a moment to get himself calmed down again. "It's just kind of funny...Yesterday morning Chase said that even if she was stranded on a desert island with you, she would not be nice to you. I wonder if she still feel that way."  
  
Adam just shook his head, laughing softly as he rose to his feet. "Let's go get the girls and see what we all have in the bags."  
  
*****  
  
"Hey Callie, what's up?" Chase called when she saw her friend approaching the pool of warm water that she was still lounging in.  
  
Calliope sat down on one of the rocks bordering the edge of the spring and smiled. "Well, Chris thought that it would be a good idea to go through the bags and see what we all have." She replied, still smiling.  
  
Chase's mouth fell open, her eyes growing wide with disbelief as she listened to Calliope speak Chris' name, minus the venom that usually accompanied it. And not only that, but Calliope also seemed to be agreeing with what Chris had suggested. That was certainly a first.  
  
"Are you feeling all right?" Chase asked as she eyes Calliope intently.  
  
Calliope gave Chase a funny look. "Yeah...why?"  
  
Chase just shook her head, still confused by Calliope's odd behavior. "No reason. Just wondering."  
  
"Okay then," Calliope began as she stood up again. "Meet us out on the beach when you get done."  
  
Chase smiled at her friend. "Okay, I'm just finishing up here. I'll be there in a few minutes."  
  
*****  
  
"Well, it's a good thing that we are about the same size." Calliope said to Chase as she opened the zippers on her bag. Hers had been one of the ones that had been retrieved, along with Chris'. "I brought plenty of clothes, things that us women need, and I even have two bathing suits so we can take a dip in the ocean tomorrow."  
  
Digging through the contents of her bag, Calliope brought out the two swimsuits. "Here this color suits you better than me." She commented as she tossed one of them over to Chase. Her face began to burn when Chase held up the bathing suit and looked at her with her eyebrow raised.  
  
"A thong bikini, Callie?" Chase questioned, unable to believe that Calliope had bought something like that. She wasn't sure that she could wear it herself.  
  
Calliope shrugged at Chase's expression and smiled sheepishly. "I wanted to get a good tan." She said softly as she held up the bikini that she still held in her hands. It was exactly the same as the one she'd given Chase apart from the color.  
  
Chase laughed. "Well, I think you'll definitely get a good tan in that." Chase paused for a moment and looked over at Chris. He and Adam had been watching their conversation in silence.  
  
"What do you think, Chris? Think Callie will get a good tan in that suit?" Chase questioned, having to bite her lip to keep back the grin when she saw the expression on his face.  
  
"Uh...yeah. Definitely." He mumbled after a few moments. He watched as Calliope looked away, her face turning bright red.  
  
Adam shocked himself when he looked over at Chase and found himself imagining what she would look like in the bikini. The color of it perfectly complimented her dark hair and darkly tanned skin.  
  
"Adam!" Calliope said for the third time.  
  
He was abruptly snapped out of his daydream when he heard Calliope's voice speaking to him. "What did you say?" He asked, still dazed by the images that had flashed through his mind.  
  
Calliope sighed in exasperation. "I asked you what you guys have in Chris' bag. We're also going to need to do some more exploring see if there is anything beside coconut tress around here. Because we're going to need some kind of food. I'm hoping for a banana or maybe an orange tree as well. I have a lighter in my bag so we should be able to fix a fire to cook fish on that we catch. And have you guys thought about finding or making some kind of shelter? We're going to need it if there is a storm. I'm sure they get pretty fierce here."  
  
Adam shot her a look, reminding her of their deal...No more fighting...No more silence. "Well Callie, why don't you ask him yourself?" Adam suggested, a huge grin on his face.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chase bit her lip to keep from laughing, easily reading the silent message that passed between Adam and Calliope. Chris on the other had was completely oblivious, his eyes still on the bathing suite that was in Callie's hands. She also didn't miss the look in his eyes as they went from the suit to Calliope.  
  
Calliope shot Adam a glare before turning her eyes to Chris. She cleared her throat, effectively gaining his attention. She flashed him a smile, covering up her own embarrassment, having seen where his eyes were.  
  
"I was wondering what you have in your bag." She repeated, gesturing towards the suitcase with her hand.  
  
"Oh, um…" Chris fumbled with the zipper as he swore to himself for letting a piece of fabric get to him like it was.  
  
"A tiny piece of fabric." he thought to himself. By this time he was nearly ready to rip the suitcase open when at it still wouldn't cooperate. Chase snickered then stepped forward and took the offending item out of his hands, opening it effortlessly herself.  
  
"Here." She handed it back to him with a cheeky grin, earning herself a nice glare from Chris in the process.  
  
"Thanks," he grumbled, not really meaning it. He mentally shook himself, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. "It's the stress of the situation." He silently told himself.  
  
Chase peered over his shoulder as he started fumbling through his stuff. She rolled her eyes and groaned. "Jesus, Chris, how many leather pants to you need?"  
  
"I'll have you know that only one pair is mine. The other's his." He pointed to Adam. "Picked them up yesterday when bought mine."  
  
"Oh yeah, I nearly forgot." Adam reached forward and pulled out the new pants. "Sweet, man, thanks. Did you have enough or do I owe you more money?" he asked.  
  
Chris gave him an odd look. "I really don't think that's an issue right now." He said, shaking his head at his friend.  
  
"True." Adam grinned.  
  
"What is with you two and leather pants?" Calliope asked.  
  
"You mean you can't tell?" Adam asked, a hurt look on his face, but he was fighting the grin that was threatening to break through.  
  
"Yeah, and if you look in the Internet, women say I have a fine ass…especially in leather pants." Chris put in.  
  
"I'll say." Calliope said to herself, not loud enough for the guys to hear. Chase, who was standing next to her turned wide eyes on her, one eyebrow raised.  
  
"I heard that." She whispered, causing Callie to blush furiously and look away.  
  
A few minutes later, once they were done going through the bags, Chris stood up and looked around. "Well, I'd say we've got about an hour left of light, if we're going to look for some food, we better do it now." He said, looking off towards the trees.  
  
Calliope stood up with him, shocking herself and everyone else when she said, "I'll go with you. Adam, why don't you and Chase stay here and start a fire?" she looked directly at Adam, sending him the same message he'd been sending her earlier. Adam had to fight not to groan out loud, knowing he'd been had.  
  
"Sure." He answered. Chris and Chase looked at each other uncertainly, wondering what and the hell was wrong with their companions.  
  
"Alright." Chris said almost reluctantly, eyeing Callie suspiciously. "Let's get going."  
  
Chase watched quietly as Chris and Calliope disappeared in the woods. She then turned to look at Adam, who was also watching after the two, hoping they both made it back alive and didn't kill each other.  
  
"Alright, now much did you pay her to be nice to Chris?"  
  
Adam turned sharply, ready with a comeback, when he paused long enough to see the smile, and not the normal animosity in her eyes.  
  
"I guess she just decided to try something new. She sure has thrown Chris for a loop though hasn't she?" Adam asked. Chase laughed, and for the first time Adam noticed how nice of a laugh she had.  
  
"I haven't seen him that confused in a long time." She giggled, remember the look on Chris's face. "I guess she's right though. Nothing good will come out of arguing constantly." She sighed.  
  
"Wait a minute. Are you saying you're going to be nice too?" Adam asked, throwing his hands up in mock disbelief.  
  
Chase shook her head with a smile. "I'll try." She grinned. "But only if you do too." She said pointedly.  
  
"Hey, I can be nice. You're the one who wouldn't be nice to me even if we were stuck on an island." Adam quoted Chris. He nearly burst out laughing at Chase's expression, admiring the way her cheeks reddened.  
  
"Oh god, I forgot I said that!" Chase exclaimed, covering her face with her hands. She peaked at him through her fingers, relieved to see he was smiling. "I'm sorry about that."  
  
"You're apologizing to me?" This time he didn't need to fake his disbelief. Now this was definitely a first.  
  
Chase tilted her head as she looked up at him. "Yeah, I guess I am, but if you ever tell anyone else, I'll deny it to the  
  
grave." She swore, causing another chuckle to come from him. Suddenly she realized she liked it when he laughed.  
  
And that smile…she'd always known it drove women crazy, but it had never had an effect on her before, until now. At least that's what she kept telling herself.  
  
"Maybe it won't be so hard being nice." She thought to herself.  
  
Realizing she was staring, she quickly looked away. "Come on, let's get the fire started before they get back." She said as she squatted down to search for the lighter in Calliope's bag.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So, uh...What are we looking for?" Calliope asked Chris, trying to start some sort of conversation as they walked through the jungle. The silence between them was so dense that it was nearly suffocating her. And although, she wouldn't admit it, she needed something to get her mind off of the visions of Chris' backside in leather pants out of her mind.  
  
Chris stopped and looked at Calliope, still unable to believe that they were actually getting along. He was shocked when he found that he liked it.  
  
Chris sucked in a sharp breath when his eyes locked with Calliope's. For the first time he realized what a beautifully unique color they were. It was a bluish green color that reminded him of the ocean. Without realizing that he was doing so, Chris' eyes swept over the rest of her. Her skin was a light golden tan that reminded him of the sun. Her hair was as soft, smooth, and perfect white as the sand on the beach. She was like a tropical paradise all by herself.  
  
"Chris!"  
  
Chris jumped back a step, startled when he heard Calliope's voice break through the thick fog clouding his brain. He quickly raked his fingers through his hair and his hand over his face in an effort to get his thoughts cleared. What the hell was happening? Suddenly Calliope was making all rational thought rush from his mind. This was something that he would have never...ever...expected to happen. But it was. And was exhilarating and confusing, and so much more all at the same time.  
  
Giving himself a mental shake, Chris forced his mind to focus on the matter at hand. "Did you say something?" He asked, hoping that his voice didn't come out trembling as much as he was on the inside.  
  
"Yeah, uh..." Calliope trailed off, suddenly not remembering what she had just said to him when her eyes touched on his and she saw the way he was looking at her. She felt her stomach flutter as her heart started racing in her chest.  
  
Closing her eyes, Calliope took in a deep breath and slowly let it out before opening them again. Finally she remembered what she had asked him...or something close to it anyway.  
  
"What's the plan then?" Calliope asked, thankful that her voice came out steady and even.  
  
"Well, let's see if we can find a couple of long sticks or branches. I have a pocketknife in my bag that we can use to carve them into spears. We can use them to catch fish." Chris explained what he was thinking."  
  
"Mmm...Sounds like a good idea." Calliope told him with a smile. Her cheeks flamed red when her stomach suddenly gave a loud rumble at that moment.  
  
Chris gave her a smile that weakened her knees. "Well, it sounds like we better get right on that."  
  
"Oh shit!" Calliope exclaimed a short time later as she tripped on a rock and fell into the back of Chris, who was walking ahead of her on their way back to the beach where Chase and Adam were. Chris quickly spun around and caught her before she fell fully.  
  
"Ow." Calliope whimpered softly as she held onto her ankle. "Why didn't you warn me about that rock there?"  
  
"I did." Chris told her. "You must not have heard me."  
  
Calliope thought back to just a few seconds ago and realized that she did remember hearing him say something to her, but as she'd been walking behind him, she'd been too busy staring at his behind. Not only did he have a fine ass in leather pants, but it also looked damn fine in the tight pair of Levi's that he was wearing as well.  
  
"Are you okay?" Chris asked as he sat down on the ground, pulling her down until she was on his lap. "Let me take a look."  
  
Until that moment, Calliope hadn't realized that Chris had caught her and that she was still in his arms. She looked up into his eyes and all of the pain that she'd felt just seconds ago instantly disappeared when she saw those beautiful blue pools. "Yeah, I think I just twisted my ankle a little bit, but I think it'll be okay." Calliope said in a rush as she tried to get up. She didn't know what scared and confused her the most; the way Chris was looking at her, or the way that she was reacting to him and being in his arms.  
  
"Damn it!" Calliope cussed softly when she tried to stand on her ankle and intense pain shot through it.  
  
"Here, lean on me." Chris said as he jumped to his feet and put an arm around her waist. Then, picking up the sticks that they'd found from the ground where he dropped then to catch her, he and Calliope began making their way back to the beach.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"How's your ankle?" Chris asked as he sat down next to Calliope, who was devouring one of the fish they had caught earlier that morning.  
  
"Much better." She told him with a slight smile, yet finding herself unable to look him in the eyes. "I woke up this morning and it seems to be fine."  
  
"Good." Chris murmured. They both fell into silence, each sighing with relief when Chase came over and sat down a few minutes later.  
  
"Don't tell me you two are back to ignoring each other." Chase complained.  
  
"No, Mom." Chris answered causing Calliope to giggle at the look Chase shot him.  
  
"I was just making sure." Chase stuck her tongue out him. "So, what's the game plan for today?" she asked.  
  
"Adam and I are going to try and build some kind of shelter." Chris answered.  
  
"The two of you?" Calliope asked, her voice filled with disbelief but her eyes were shining with mirth.  
  
"This ought to be fun to watch." Chase snickered.  
  
"Hey, hey, I thought you were going to be nice."  
  
Chase turned and looked over her shoulder at Adam who was standing there bare chested, beads of water still clinging to his body from his morning swim in spring. Her mouth went completely dry and she lost her ability to think or speak.  
  
She turned back around, her eyes wide, and her cheeks immediately burned when she saw the knowing grins she was getting from Chris and Calliope.  
  
"I'm being nice." She mumbled.  
  
"Hell if I get any nicer I'll have to jump him right here and now." She though to herself. She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing those thoughts were making her turn even redder.  
  
"Well, why don't you boys work on the shelter, while Chase and I go look for some more food." Calliope suggested, jumping in after seeing her friend needed some rescuing. "Then when we get back, we can add some womanly touches to the shelter." She grinned.  
  
"Great idea." Chase exclaimed, jumping to her feet and all but running to the edge of the woods where she stopped and waited for Calliope to catch up, keeping her back to the group.  
  
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but all she saw was Adam standing there. The sudden urge to go back, grab him, and lick all the droplets of water from his body was so overwhelming, it nearly suffocated.  
  
"You ready?" Calliope asked, trying not to laugh when Chase jumped. She nodded and started ahead, not saying anything. Grinning, Calliope hurried to catch up.  
  
"Something wrong?" Calliope asked when she caught up to her friend.  
  
Chase shook her head. "Nope, I'm fine."  
  
"Uh huh. Mind explaining the looks you've been giving Adam as of late?" Calliope giggled when Chase nearly lost her footing.  
  
"Very funny. I don't know what's going on with me, Callie. It's like since we've stopped fighting, I've seeing him a whole new light." Chase threw up her hands, not understanding her sudden attraction.  
  
"It was almost more bearable when we were at each other's throats." Chase mumbled. "You know what I mean."  
  
  
  
"Huh?"  
  
It was Chase's turn to grin knowingly at Calliope. "Oh I'm sorry, I guess I was imagining the way you practically drool over Chris, or the way your eyes seem to be glued to his ass lately."  
  
Calliope gasped and stopped in her tracks, her mouth falling open. Chase didn't help the matter by laughing so hard she doubled over, holding her stomach.  
  
Straightening up, Chase wiped away the tears as she tried to catch her breath. "I'm sorry, but the look on your face was absolutely priceless!"  
  
Calliope crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "I have not been staring at his ass." She denied lamely.  
  
"Sure."  
  
Calliope groaned and buried her face in her hands. "What's happening to us?" she cried.  
  
"Hell if I know. Must be something in the water." Chase shrugged helplessly as they continued walking.  
  
***  
  
Adam and Chris sighed simultaneously as they watched the girls disappear. Adam rubbed the back of his neck as Chris ran his hand over his face, both of their expression confused.  
  
"She's going to be the death of me." Chris said softly as he stared after Calliope.  
  
"Tell me about it." Adam answered his own eyes still on the spot where Chase was just a few seconds before. Chris looked at him and they both grinned. "Wanna explain what the hell is going on?" Chris asked, hoping Adam could clear things up a little.  
  
"Me? Shit, I was hoping you could!" Adam exclaimed.  
  
***  
  
"Damn we're good." Adam boasted, a huge grin on his face as he surveyed what they had been working on for the past two hours.  
  
"I never had any doubts." Chris said proudly, puffing out his chest. His grin disappeared when he heard thunder rumbling in the distance. He tuned and scanned the horizon.  
  
"What's wrong?" Adam asked, seeing the frown on Chris's face.  
  
"Fuck." He swore softly. "It's gonna storm."  
  
"Then I'd say we got the shelter done just in time." Adam answered, then grinned and punched his friend lightly in the arm. "Aww, is Chrissy afraid of a little storm?"  
  
Chris shook his head, his eyes still on the mean looking storm clouds rapidly headed in their direction. "No, but Chase is petrified of storm. Has been ever since I've known her. I better go find her."  
  
"Damn." Adam said softly. "I thought they would be back by now."  
  
"I'm going to head in this direction, you go that way." Chris pointed. "One of us is bound to find them."  
  
Adam nodded as he watched Chris take off in a full run. He too sprinted in the forest, hoping they found the girls and quickly.  
  
***  
  
"Chase!" Calliope called, her hands on her hips as she waited for her friend to answer. She sighed and cursed when she didn't get an answer.  
  
They had split up, thinking they could cover more ground that way, and decided to meet back at the spring. She knew it wouldn't have been hard for Chase to get lost, hell she'd hardly found her way back herself.  
  
"Damn it." She swore loudly. "CHASE!" she yelled. Her head jerked up when she heard the thunder. It had been rumbling for the past fifteen minutes, but that sounded much closer. She knew the way Chase was during thunderstorms, and knew she would be near panicked by now.  
  
She chewed on her lip, trying to decide if she should go back to the beach and get the guys to help find Chase. Suddenly there was a bright flash of lightning, followed by a loud clap of thunder that made her jump.  
  
"No time." She whispered as she turned and went deeper in the forest. She couldn't waste time now going back to get the guys.  
  
***  
  
"Now I know I've seen this tree before." Chase groaned in frustration. She seemed to be going in circles. Every time she went one way, she ended up back where she started.  
  
She jumped when the thunder hit, a whimper of distress escaping her as she looked around frantically. "Great. Just great." She muttered to herself, trying to keep herself calm. She wanted nothing more than to freak out, but she knew she had to find a way to keep it together.  
  
"Think, Chase, think." She told herself. Just then a streak of lightning struck somewhere not far off in the woods. She cried out in fear, dropping to the ground like a stone and curling up into a little ball.  
  
She knew she needed to get moving and somehow find her way back to the others, but she couldn't get her body to respond. She was paralyzed with fear.  
  
She began shaking uncontrollably as the rain started pouring down. Ever since she could remember she had been petrified of storms, although no one could ever tell her why. She always hid under her covers and somehow made it through.  
  
"Chris." She whimpered. Since being paired with him, he'd always been there to see her through, never once teasing her about her phobia. He'd just hold her and make her feel safe until the storm passed .  
  
But this was different…now she was alone and outside, nothing to protect her from the elements…or her own fear.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Eleven  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Calliope froze in her tracks when she heard someone calling her and Chase's name. She knew that it was a male voice, but with all of the noise from the storm, she couldn't distinguish if it was Adam or Chris.  
  
"I'm here!" She yelled back as she began running in the direction that the voice was coming from. The next thing Calliope knew, she ran into something solid, causing her to stumble backwards and fall to the ground. She looked up just as there was a flash of lightning and saw Chris standing there. In the heavy rain, she hadn't seen him before.  
  
"Thank God," Chris said softly as he held his hands out and helped Calliope back to her feet. "Are you okay?" He questioned once she was standing again.  
  
"Yes, but we need to find Chase!" Calliope yelled as she pulled urgently on his hand. "She's terrified of storms!"  
  
"There's no time. We have to find shelter!" Chris told her as he used his strength and began all but dragging her behind him as he ran in the direction where he'd seen a cave.  
  
"Chris! We have to find Chase!" Calliope pulled back on his arm causing him to jerk to a sudden stop. The both jumped as a loud clap of thunder rumbled through the dark sky, immediatly followed by a brilliant bolt of lightning. The wind suddenly picked up, the strong gust nearly knocking Calliope off her feet.  
  
"There isn't ti-" Calliope cut him off before he could finish.  
  
"But Chase..." She trailed off when Chris stopped her.  
  
Chris grabbed her hand again as stones of hail began falling from the sky. "We have to go..NOW!" And this time he didn't let her, or anything else stop him until they reached the safety of the cave.  
  
"Adam will find her." Chris said softly, trying to assure Calliope and himself once they'd gotten inside the cave. Inside, the noise from the storm seemed miles away so they didn't have to yell to be able to hear each other.  
  
Calliope said nothing, fear for her friend leaving her momentarily speechless. She looked away as tears filled her eyes and began to slide down her cheeks.  
  
Seeing her tears, Chris stepped closer. When he placed his hand on her arm, Calliope tried to turn further away, but stopped when Chris reached out and took both sides of her face within his large hands, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Adam will find Chase. I promise." Chris told her, his eyes never once leaving hers.  
  
God, he hoped he was right.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Twelve  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What the fuck!" Adam cursed as he tripped over something that he hadn't seen in the middle of the path that he was running on. He tried to steady himself to keep from falling but with the muddy and slippery rain soaked ground, his efforts were useless. He fell face first into a puddle of mud and rainwater.  
  
Adam lifted his head and sat up as he looked back to where he had just come from, trying to see if he could find if he had really tripped on something or if he'd just lost his footing on the slippery ground. He suddenly jumped to his feet when he heard a faint whimper of distress coming from that direction. He knew without knowing that it was Chase.  
  
Adam quickly moved over to where she was lying on the ground, curled up into a tight ball, her whole body shaking uncontrollably with fear and cold. Chase screamed in fright when Adam grabbed her arm and pulled her up to her feet. But once she realized that it was Adam, she sighed with relief as she collapsed against him.  
  
At first Adam remained motionless, but after a few moments he wrapped Chase up into a tight hug. He held her close before he pulled back and looked at her, his eyes quickly sweeping over her to check for injury. When he found only a few minor scrapes and bruises, he felt a sense of overwhelming relief.  
  
Quickly looking around, Adam spotted a patch of dense, low lying tree branches. It wasn't the best for shelter, but at the moment, it would have to do. At least for the most part, it would get them out of the rain and now beginning to fall hail.  
  
Taking hold of Chase's hand, Adam quickly led her over to the refuge. After they crawled underneath the branches, he was happy to find that hardly a drop of rain had penetrated the thick brush. His attention was instantly brought back to Chase when a loud rumble of thunder shook the earth, causing her to cry out in fear. Without thinking twice, Adam folded Chase up in his arms, gently soothing her as the storm continued to rage on.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Thirteen  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Are you okay?" Adam asked softly, his voice soothing as he ran his hands up and down Chase's back in a calming motion. She was still buried tight against him, and with every flash of lightning she would jump and try to get closer.  
  
"Chase?" Adam pulled back slightly, looking down at her. She was still shivering uncontrollably, and had yet to say a word since he found her, aside from a few whimpers of fear.  
  
Chase took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, even if only slightly. It wasn't until just a few seconds ago that she realized she was out of the rain for the most part. She knew someone had found her, and she had been immensely relieved, but her fear had blocked everything else out.  
  
She nodded, her movements jerky, to Adam's question, knowing her voice would shake just as bad as the rest of her body.  
  
Adam sighed as he tightened his hold on her, offering as much comfort as he could. He wracked his brain and thought back to when he was little, and he would some weekends at his Aunt's farm. His cousin, Julie, had been deathly afraid of storms…possibly even more so than Chase. He remembered that he and the rest of the family would have to try and distract her from the storm.  
  
That was easier said that done. He made several different attempts to start a conversation, but it always fell flat when she wouldn't answer and remain silent, tightly pressed up against him, her face buried in his chest.  
  
After a few moments of silence, Adam started shifting restlessly. Something was bothering him, and when he realized what it was he groaned.  
  
"Damn it. I got sand in my jeans." He muttered to himself. He stilled when Chase stirred and pulled back from him looking him in the eyes. He could easily see the fear that was still there, but he also read confusion.  
  
"Huh?" she whispered. She had felt him moving around beneath her, and was able to realize that he was shifting uncomfortably.  
  
Adam gently moved her off his lap and got to his knees, giving her a sheepish grin, as he tried shaking his legs and pants as best he could. "I got sand in my jeans…and it's itching like a bitch." He muttered, nearly growling when all his moving only made matters worse.  
  
His head snapped up when he heard Chase giggle. She tried to contain her laughter, but the way he was moving around and the look on his face was too much, and before she knew it, she was laughing so hard she was having a hard time catching her breath.  
  
"I'm so glad my obvious discomfort amuses you." He grumbled, although he was trying hard not to laugh himself. He was more than relieved to see her laughing, and seemingly to have forgotten about the storm, which in itself, although it was still going strong, it didn't seem to be as bad as before.  
  
"Why don't you just take them off?" she asked after finally calming herself. "You do have something on underneath, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah…" he trailed off as his hands went to the front of his jeans and he immediately started working the buttons.  
  
Chase bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing, but the mirth disappeared as soon as he started sliding the wet material down his hips. Her mouth went dry, and her heart began to pound furiously as she took in his black boxer briefs.  
  
"Aaah, much better." Adam exclaimed in relief, as he tossed the jeans a little ways away. He turned and smiled at Chase, who immediately diverted her eyes.  
  
"Better?" she thought to herself with a frown. "For him maybe." If there was one thing that turned her on quicker than anything else, it was a man in boxer briefs. The way they hugged a man in all the right places drove her insane. And the man sitting next to her definitely had ALL the right places.  
  
"Okay, so suggesting he take the jeans off was not one of your brightest moves." She silently scolded herself.  
  
She jumped when she felt Adam's hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you all right?" he asked, worried she had gone back into her trance like state. "Uh, yeah." She answered absently, her mind drifting away from her…but not back to the storm. She found herself wondering if there was any sand anywhere else. Her cheeks flamed red and she turned her head, not wanting him to see the ways he was blushing.  
  
They stayed like that for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts. She snapped out of her thoughts when there was a bright flash of lightning, followed by a loud clap of thunder. The storm had seemed to be calming down, so it caught them both off guard.  
  
Chase jumped and moved closer to him, jumping again when their arms touched. "Sorry." She mumbled, starting to scoot away.  
  
"You're fine." Adam assured her as he put his arm around her and stopped her movement by pulling her closer to him. He was a little confused by her sudden odd behavior, but shrugged it away, telling himself it had to do with the storm.  
  
At first she sat stiffly in his arms, but after a minute, she began to relax and melted in his embrace. She sighed contently as she laid her head down on his shoulder, surprising herself when her eyes started to droop. Falling asleep during a storm was something she had never been able to do.  
  
"Wait until I tell Callie about this." She thought to herself. Suddenly, her head shot up and her eyes were wide with fear again, only this time it wasn't for herself.  
  
"Where's Chris and Callie?" she demanded before he could say anything.  
  
"Uh, Chris found Callie, and they are fine." He lied, crossing his fingers that he was right. He didn't want to tell her he had no idea if Callie was with Chris, or if they were even safe. She seemed to be pulling out of the state she was in earlier, and he didn't want to do or say anything that would put her back into it.  
  
"Thank god." She whispered, laying her head back down, missing the look that passed across his face. Although they had just, in the last day, started getting along, he hated lying to her. Especially about something as important as this.  
  
"Thank you." She said softly, looking up at him without lifting her head.  
  
"For what?" he asked, smiling down at her. It suddenly hit him just how beautiful she was. He wasn't stupid, he'd always know, but their constant arguing and bickering got in the way.  
  
"For all of it. Helping me, distracting me," she grinned, letting him know she knew what he had been up too. "But most of all for being here with me."  
  
"Anytime." He promised, surprising himself when he realized he meant it.  
  
His breath caught when she tilted her head just slightly, studying him intently. Her eyes were her secret weapons.  
  
Many times he had lost arguments with her because she would look him in the eyes and he would completely loose his train of thought. They were an amazing blue. Almost like aqua, that stood out even more with her dark complexion and dark hair.  
  
At times her eyes could be very expressive, and definitely the window to her soul. But that was only when she allowed them to be. Most of the time they were mysterious and alluring, and she was always able to keep people guessing.  
  
Just like now. He had no idea what she was thinking, but the way she was looking at him was starting to make his blood boil, and not in the usual argumentative way.  
  
"You know." She said thoughtfully. "Maybe Chris was right."  
  
"Right about what?"  
  
"He told me once that you really weren't so bad. Of course I didn't believe him at the time." She grinned sheepishly when he laughed.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"But now I'm thinking that maybe there was a little truth to what he said." Chase smiled.  
  
"Just a little?" Adam teased, one eyebrow raised.  
  
Chase rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Don't push your luck, Copeland." She threw back at him.  
  
"Yeah, well, you're not so bad yourself." Adam admitted with a smirk.  
  
Chase flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave him a knowing look. "I know. Hell, I could have told ya that."  
  
A loud clap of thunder interrupted their laugher, reminding them of why they were there in the first place.  
  
"How much longer can this storm last?" Chase asked, fighting against the fear that was just beneath the surface.  
  
"I honestly don't know. Why don't you try and get some sleep?" he suggested, as he lay on his back, so that he was stretched out, but still covered by the branches, and staying relatively dry.  
  
"Sleep?" Chase asked looking at him in disbelief. "Do you honestly think I sleep during storms?"  
  
She shivered when he reached up and pushed a lock on her hair behind her ear, giving her a sympathetic look. "No, I guess you wouldn't. Have you always been afraid of storms?" he asked.  
  
Chase looked away and nodded, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on top of her knees. "Yeah, for as long as I can remember. I don't even really know why." She admitted.  
  
To her surprise, she stifled a yawn, which Adam saw. Grinning, he reached out and caught her arm, drawling her down to him. She went with out protest and laid her head down on his chest, again feeling her eyes get heavy.  
  
"I have an older cousin who's scared of storms too. I don't think anything caused her to be afraid of them, either. She just always was." He said.  
  
"Mmmm." Chase answered sleepily, enjoying the feel of being this close to him, and allowing the sound of his voice, and the steady beat of his heart, to lull her to sleep.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued.... 


	3. Lost Paradise -- Part III

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Fourteen  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chris' eyes stayed locked with Calliope's as he took his hands from her face and ran them down over her bare shoulders and arm. Stopping at her hands, he took hold of them.  
  
"Are you cold?" Chris asked and then felt like kicking himself for asking that. It was a stupid question really. Of course she was cold. Her shorts and tank top were soaking wet and she was obviously shivering.  
  
Her eyes staying with his, Calliope nodded her head.  
  
"Come here." Still holding her hands, Chris backed up until he was against the wall of the cave. He slid down until he was sitting, pulling Calliope down with him onto his lap. He drew her close against him as he wrapped his arms around her body.  
  
Calliope sighed softly as she relaxed against him and laid her head against his chest. She closed her eyes, the strong, steady beat of his heart calming her.  
  
Some time later, Calliope lifted her head and tipped it back to look at Chris, as she wanted to say something to him. Chris had been leaning his head against hers, and when she moved, his lips brushed hers for a brief moment.  
  
They both moved apart in surprise, each of their eyes wide at the sparks that had surged through their bodies at that brief contact. Their hearts pounding and breathing irregular, they stayed like that, each staring at the other for what seemed to be eternity. It was in reality only a few seconds before Chris snapped out of the daze that he was in.  
  
"Sorry." He mumbled as he looked away, knowing that if he looked into those beautiful eyes, or gazed upon her lush, full lips any longer, he might not be able to keep himself in check. Just from that fleeting 'kiss' his body was responding with an iron will of its own, his emotions threatening to completely take control and drive all reasonable thought from his mind.  
  
Calliope shocked herself even more than his lips touching hers had by the words that next came out of her mouth. "I'm not."  
  
And at that moment, she wasn't. Feeling his lips against her...no matter how brief, or how innocent it was...it had brought feelings to her that she had thought were long dead. She had felt attracted to Chris on the last couple of days that they had been getting along. But that was all it was...an attraction. It could have been genuine or it could have been brought on by the trauma of the airplane crashing and them being stranded on this island. Maybe she had felt that was all along, but their fighting had prevented her from seeing it. Calliope wasn't really sure what.  
  
What she was feeling right then ran much deeper than a simply being attracted to an incredibly handsome man. The desire that was suddenly raging through her body made her feel more alive than she had in the six months since her family had been killed and since her boyfriend at that time had split soon after that. Never before had she felt such a need...a yearning, to get closer. To have him...all of him.  
  
Surprised by her words, and thinking that maybe he'd heard her wrong, Chris snapped his eyes back to hers. He knew immediately that he hadn't heard wrong when his gaze touched upon her once again. And that was all that it took. He was gone, and there was no turning back.  
  
"Chris-" Any other words that Calliope might have spoken were stopped when Chris pulled her back against him with one arm while his other hand reached up toward her face. Cupping her chin, he tipped her head back as his lips came down to capture hers in a brutal, soul shattering kiss.  
  
Slipping her hands between their bodies, Calliope went to work with the buttons down the front of Chris' bright, multi-colored shirt. When she had them all undone, she slid her hands inside and ran them over his chest. She felt the deep, rough groan against her hands as it rumbled through his chest. That alone was nearly enough to send her to the edge.  
  
Calliope moaned passionately against his mouth as she slid Chris' shirt off. She ran her hands over his shoulders, down his arms, and back up before she tangled her fingers through the length of his silky hair and increased the depth of the all consuming kiss.  
  
Pulling slightly back again, Calliope broke their kiss and put distance between them only long enough to rid herself of her tank top, and then her bra. She let out a desire filled gasp when Chris pulled her back to him, their skin coming into full contact, each of their hands roaming hungrily over the other.  
  
She closed her eyes, her head falling back as a thick moan escaped her lips when Chris dropped his head, his mouth surround the taut peak of her breast. Sucking gently, he circled her nipple with his tongue, bringing it to hardness before moving over to the other and doing the same.  
  
The next thing Calliope knew, she found herself on her back on the wet, muddy cave floor. She arched her back, pressing her body against Chris' as he leaned forward and caught her lips in a hungry kiss. Then, his lips leaving hers, Chris found the sensitive spot behind her ear and nuzzled it until she was squirming around underneath him; begging him to stop, and trying to get closer all at the same time.  
  
Moving back again, Chris stared into Calliope's eyes, seeing everything that he felt mirrored there. With a deep groan of need and longing, Chris lowered his head again. Starting at her lips, he left a trail of fiery kisses as he made his way down her body so very slowly that Calliope thought she would go insane from his slow, sweet torture.  
  
"Chris, please!" She whimpered desperately, unable to wait any longer.  
  
Unable to wait any longer himself, Chris quickly removed the clothes that she had left on and then his own before he covered her body with his once again. After shifting their position slightly, Chris buried himself completely inside her.  
  
*****  
  
"Is...Everything okay?" Chris asked Calliope later as they were getting dressed. She'd been cold and distant since they'd been together, having not once looked in his direction or said a word to him. He sensed something different about her...a sense of anger and regret.  
  
"No...Everything is not okay." Calliope spat out as she spun around and looked at Chris. He could see the fury shining brightly in her eyes, but if it was directed at him, he didn't know why. "This," Calliope spoke again as she gestured between Chris and herself. "Should have never happened. It was a mistake."  
  
"But we-" Before Chris could finish his thought, Calliope cut him off.  
  
"Yes Chris, it was incredible and amazing," Calliope paused for a moment. Hell, if truth were told, what she'd just shared with Chris had been the most amazing and fulfilling moment she'd ever experienced in her life. She'd never felt so whole, or more complete with anyone than she had at the moment when she and Chris became one...even if she'd never admit it to anyone...even herself until later. "But it should not have happened. It was just the intensity of the situation that we were in. The heat of the moment...that kind of thing. It's just one of those things that happened and it shouldn't have." Calliope finished as she busied herself trying to shake some of the dried mud out of her hair.  
  
"You know," Chris began, his own eyes shining, his voice laced with his building anger at her throwing him aside so carelessly. "You are right. It should not have happened. I was foolish to think that you had changed in the time that we've been on this island, but you are still the same self- absorbed bitch that you've always been."  
  
"And you are no better!" Calliope shot back at him. "You are still the same pompous...ass clown that you've always been!" Calliope insulted him using yet another one of his in-ring catch phrases.  
  
Chris ran his hand over his face in an effort to get his temper under control. Calliope knew all the right buttons to push. "You are a nothing more than a miserable little bitch." He ground out through clenched teeth, his hand called into tight fist at either side of his body.  
  
Before Calliope had a chance to say anything in return, Chris spun around and stalked out of the cave, thankful that the storm was winding down and not caring if she found her way back to the beach or not. And honestly, right at that moment, he wished she wouldn't.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Fifteen  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chase mumbled incoherently and tried to get closer to the warmth that was wrapped around her, fighting to go back to sleep, but the deep groan that came from her 'pillow' brought her back to full consciousness.  
  
Her eyes snapped open and she lifted her head, looking around disoriented. Somewhere in the back of her mind she registered that the storm was over. In fact she must have slept through the night, since sunlight was breaking through the dense forest.  
  
She shifted again, trying to get her bearings together. She jumped slightly when strong hands suddenly grasped her hips and stilling all her movements.  
  
"For the love of God, please don't move!" A gruff voice ground out, through what sounded like clenched teeth.  
  
Chase's eyes opened wide, and she was unable to prevent the gasp from leaving her lips, when she realized she was practically lying on top of Adam. Sometime during the night, in their sleep, they had wound up in a very intimate position.  
  
She blushed deeply, not only from their positioning, but also from the immediate reaction of her body. And most importantly from his reaction, which he couldn't very well hide with the way their bodies were pressed together.  
  
"Oh god!" she exclaimed, twisting to get away, but unable to do so with his hold on her hips. His hands tightening, his fingers digging into her, and she realized her mistake.  
  
"Chase." He groaned in warning. He didn't know how much more he could take of this. He'd woken up a while ago; long before she started all her wiggling around, but his body had been on fire from the second he opened his eyes. Then when she started waking up and moving around, needless to say it hadn't helped the situation.  
  
He closed his eyes, using all his strength to keep from rolling them both over, pinning her beneath him, and completely ravishing her body.  
  
"Sorry," she whispered, then cut herself off before she could say anymore when he opened his eyes. She knew the awareness and desire she saw his eyes was clearly visible in her own.  
  
Her breath caught in her throat when his eyes got heavy lidded, his hand moving from hip to push the hair away from her face, then to gently cup the back of her head. With their eyes locked, they both started slowly moving towards each other.  
  
"CHASE!"  
  
They both jumped, then jerked apart, scrambling to put some distance between them after being torn out of their trance. It took them both a few seconds to realize it was Chris's yelling that broke through and interrupted them.  
  
"CHASE? ADAM?" he yelled again, this time his voice closer than before.  
  
"CHRIS!" Chase yelled back as she moved out from their protective covering, unable to look back at Adam. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself before facing Chris.  
  
"Great timing." She sighed to herself, unsure of if it was in relief or frustration.  
  
Chris sighed with relief when he saw Chase standing a few feet away. He'd gotten back to the camp and had been more than a little worried when neither Adam nor Chase had been there. As soon as the sun came up, he was on his way looking for them.  
  
Calliope still hadn't returned to the camp, and while looking for Chase and Adam, he had gone back by the cave, glad to find she was asleep in the safety of the cave. Not that he would ever admit to Calliope that he'd gone back to check on her.  
  
He was still so angry he could barely see straight, but at least he had a little bit of a distraction.  
  
"Thank god you're alright!" he exclaimed as he rushed forward and pulled her into a tight hug.  
  
"Where's Callie." She demanded, when she didn't see her friend.  
  
"She's fine." He answered, his voice taking a cold tone too it. He pulled back and looked her deep in the eyes. "Are you alright?" She looked to be fine, but he needed the reassurance. He knew full well how she reacted to storms, and he felt extremely guilty that he hadn't been there with her.  
  
Chase nodded and smiled, wanting to ease him of the guilt she could easily see in his eyes. "I'm fine, Chris, I promise. Adam took great care of me."  
  
She saw Chris look over her shoulder and felt him stiffen. "I just bet he did." He growled, glaring over her shoulder.  
  
Confused to the sudden change in him, Chase turned and groaned, knowing immediately why Chris reacted the way he did.  
  
"What?" Adam asked completely clueless as to why he was receiving the death stare from Chris. He quickly looked down at himself, inwardly sighing with relief, seeing the few moments he'd taken after Chase went to meet Chris, had worked to calm himself down. He hadn't looked in her direction just yet, knowing if he did he would give himself away. Then the glare he was getting might be justified.  
  
"Where the hell are your pants?" Chris demanded, unconsciously moving to stand in front of Chase in a protective 'big brother' fashion. Chase put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.  
  
Adam grinned at Chase's reaction, but wiped it off his face when Chris turned up the glare. "They're wet, so I didn't put them back on." He explained with a shrug.  
  
"Why'd you take them off in the first place?" Chris nearly yelled. He knew he was taking his anger out on Adam, but he couldn't seem to stop himself.  
  
"I had sand in them." Adam answered nonchalantly, then turned to duck back under the branches in search of his jeans.  
  
Chase studied Chris for a moment, then put her hand on his arm, gaining his attention. "Are you alright?" she asked softly, her eyes questioning.  
  
"I'm fine, just a little shocked to see Adam standing there in his underwear." He replied, running a hand over his face.  
  
"You sure that's all? You seem…I don't know…on edge. No pun intended." She grinned.  
  
"Hey, where's Callie?" Adam asked as he emerged once again, his jeans in hand. He'd heard Chris say she was fine, but he had expected to see her with him.  
  
"Last I knew, back in the cave near the spring." Chris answered. Chase saw him stiffen and glanced at Adam, who was also giving him a look, having also heard the coldness back in his voice.  
  
"You don't know where she is now?" he demanded, wondering what the hell was going on.  
  
"Don't know." Chris replied shortly. "And don't care." He muttered under his breath, low enough for Adam not to hear him. He looked at Chase and saw the way her eyes widened in surprise, and groaned inwardly, knowing she heard him.  
  
"We should go and see if she's still there." Adam stated, this time his turn to shoot the glare in Chris's direction. Something had happened and he fully intended on finding out what it was.  
  
"Be my guest. I'll be back at the beach." Chris threw over his shoulder as he started back in the direction he had come.  
  
Chase stared after him. She was torn. She wanted to go with Adam and make sure Calliope was okay, but yet at the same time she felt she needed to go with Chris and see what she could find out. She knew he'd most likely bite her head off, but she could honestly say, throughout all she and Chris had been through together, she had never seen him in as fowl of a mood as he was now.  
  
She looked back at Adam, her heart beginning to pound when their eyes met and held. She felt the heat rise to her face as she thought about what nearly happened, and most likely would have happened, if Chris hadn't shown up.  
  
Just looking at him was enough to fuel the fire that was burning inside of her…the fire that hadn't been completely extinguished by Chris's arrival. There was no way in hell she could be alone with Adam right now. She knew it, and he knew it.  
  
Spinning on her heel she ran to catch up with Chris.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Sixteen  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Adam stopped at the mouth of the cave and looked around, not seeing Calliope anywhere. He walked deeper into the cave, quickly becoming fearful for her when he still didn't see her or hear her answer to him calling her name. He stepped back outside the cave, swearing he'd kick Chris' ass for leaving her alone if anything had happened to Calliope.  
  
Leaving the cave, Adam decided to check at the spring, figuring that if she weren't in the cave, she'd either be there, or back at the beach.  
  
Calliope wiped furiously at the tears spilling down her cheeks when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She quickly got up and ran around to a patch of thick brush on the other side of the spring and hid there. She knew that it was Adam when she heard him calling her name, but she didn't feel up to facing anyone at that moment...not even him.  
  
Adam stopped, his eyes searching the spring and the surrounding area. He felt worry crawl through his body when  
  
he didn't see Calliope anywhere. Where the hell was she? Adam started to turn to go back to the beach to see if she was there, but stopped when he caught a glimpse of blonde hair hidden in the brush across the spring. Relief instantly flooded his body, only to fade again as he again remembered the coldness in Chris' voice when he spoke of her. And now...why the hell was Calliope so obviously hiding from him? Adam began walking over to where Calliope was, fully intending to find out what was going on.  
  
Calliope groaned when she knew that Adam had found her. She was happy to see him and know that he was okay, but she was certain that if he found out what she'd done to Chris, he'd hate her. She was sure that Chase would not be too happy with her either. Forcing a smile, Calliope stood up from her hiding spot and looked up at Adam as he stepped up to where she was.  
  
The next thing Calliope knew, she found herself wrapped up in a tight hug. Adam pulled back looking into her eyes.  
  
"Are you all right? Why were you hiding from me?" he questioned, not letting her look away when she tried. Her red, puffy eyes or the still damp tear streaks on her cheeks didn't escape his attention. She had been obviously crying and he had a feeling that it was directly linked to Chris' foul mood.  
  
"Where is Chase? Is she okay?" Calliope asked, not wanting to answer Adam's question because she knew that she'd lose it.  
  
Adam sighed when Calliope didn't answer his question. He could see that physically, she was fine, but he worried about how she was emotionally. "Chase is fine." Adam answered after a few moments of silence where he had intently studied her. "She's with Chris." Adam threw in, wanting to see how she reacted when she heard Chris' name. He was even more confused when she reacted much the same way as Chris had when he heard her name.  
  
"What the hell is going on, Callie?" Adam demanded to know, not being able to wait any longer.  
  
"I do not want to talk about it." Calliope immediatly answered as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at Adam, Much the way she had done with Chris, she let the false cover of anger hide what she was really feeling.  
  
Adam ran his fingers through his hair, obviously frustrated with the entire situation. He looked straight into Calliope's eyes. "Again I ask, What the hell is going on?"  
  
Calliope didn't want to fight with Adam and relented somewhat. "I fucked up, okay! There now you know!" She told him, the anger still coving what she truly felt. She jerked out of his arms and turned away as she fought desperately to keep the threatening tears back.  
  
Seeing the distress that she was in, Adam placed his hand on her arm and gently turned her back around to face him.  
  
"What happened, Callie?" He asked softly...almost soothingly. "Whatever it is, I'm sure that it can be worked out."  
  
Calliope shook her head. "No, this can't be."  
  
"Can't be or you don't want it to be?" Adam asked in reply. Although she hadn't said as much, he had a pretty good idea what was going on.  
  
"I can't Adam. I really can't!"  
  
"Can't what?"  
  
"Get close." Calliope answered as she looked up at Adam, her body beginning to tremble. "I can't get close."  
  
Before Adam could say anything, Calliope spoke again. "I didn't mean for it to happen...Well, actually I did...I knew that it shouldn't, but I couldn't stop it. Then afterwards, I panicked and pushed him away. I didn't mean to hurt him...I just didn't know how else to deal with what I was feeling."  
  
Adam smiled softly down at her as he pulled her into a tight embrace. Calliope still hadn't come right out and said what had happened, but he fully understood. "Don't you think that it's time to let go of that fear?"  
  
Calliope pulled back slightly and looked up at Adam for a few moments before she shook her head and then rested it back against his chest. "I can't."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Seventeen  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Chris, wait up!" Chase called as she rushed to catch up with him. Instead of slowing down, he seemed to move faster. "Damn it." She muttered under her breath.  
  
It wasn't until they were back at the beach when she finally caught up with him. "Hey, what the hell is your problem?" she demanded, grabbing his arm, turning him around to face her.  
  
She knew she was pushing her luck with the mood he was in, but there was only so much attitude from this man she could take. As much as she loved him to death, there were times when their tempers would clash, and now was dangerously close to being one of them.  
  
"What happened back there with you and Adam?" Chris snapped. He knew he was being irrational, but he needed to vent his anger some how or he felt like he was going to explode. "And don't try telling me it was just sand, I'm not stupid."  
  
Chase's eyes narrowed as she looked up at him. "That's exactly what it was, Chris. And if it was more, since when do you care?" she shot back, confusion written all over her face. He'd never really cared who she was 'involved' with before, as long as she didn't get hurt. Not that she was involved with Adam, she reminded herself.  
  
"You know what? I don't." He sneered. "So why don't you just go on back, fuck him then throw him away. It's what you women are good at!"  
  
The instant the words left his mouth, he regretted it. He knew he'd gone too far. Chase gasped, her eyes going wide with shock, rage and most of all hurt.  
  
"I can't believe you just said that to me." She whispered, backing away from him. Out of all the little spats they'd had, neither of them had ever said anything so hurtful to the other. She felt like she'd been slapped.  
  
Chris grabbed her arms, stopping her from running from when, when he knew she would. "God, Chase, I'm so sorry. I…I didn't mean that." He apologized, stumbling over his words. He felt sick to his stomach when he saw the tears in her eyes.  
  
"That's a hell of a thing to say to someone and not mean it." Chase retorted, trying to break free of his grasp. She looked up, opening her mouth, ready to really let him have it, when she saw the anguish in his eyes.  
  
She sighed and relaxed a little. She was pissed and still hurt, but she was able to see past that at the moment, although he wasn't off the hook for that little remark.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked, her voice a little shaky. When she saw he was about to shake his head, she interrupted. "And don't even think about telling me 'nothing', cuz after that, I think I deserve some kind of explanation."  
  
Chris sighed, dropping his hands to his sides. "Your right. Come on, let's go sit down."  
  
A little while later, after telling her everything that had happened, and after apologizing profusely, Chris looked her in the eyes, waiting for her reaction.  
  
Her face softened, and her heart immediately went out to him. Now it all made sense. Whenever someone hurt  
  
Chris, he lashed out at anyone around him, and obviously Calliope had really done a number on him. She sighed to herself, knowing that at the same time, Callie was putting herself through hell. She couldn't be mad…at either of them.  
  
"Oh, Chris, I'm sorry." She said sincerely, laying her hand on his shoulder. "I can't imagine how that must have hurt. And not that I'm siding with her, by any means, but I'm sure Callie didn't mean to hurt you the way she did. She was just trying to protect herself."  
  
Chris's head jerked up and the fire was back dancing in his eyes. "Protect herself?" he asked softly.  
  
"Protect herself?" he said again, this time nearly yelling it, causing Chase to jump. In one fluid movement, Chris was on his feet, his hands braced on his hips as he glared down at her. "She's the one who wanted it!"  
  
Chase bit her lip, deciding that now was not the time to point out that if Callie were the only one who wanted it, it wouldn't have happened. She got to her feet also, feeling like she was at even more of a disadvantage when she was sitting and him standing over her. Not that standing really helped, since he still towered over her.  
  
"Chris," she tried again. "You have no idea the pain that Callie has been through. Loosing her parents nearly destroyed her, then when Scott left right after, it was a blow that I was afraid that she wouldn't recover from. But she fought her way back, and opening up to you was a huge step for her. She's pushing you away because she's afraid to get close and loose you, like she's lost nearly everyone else she's ever cared about."  
  
"Bullshit! She's using that as an excuse. I'm not here just to be used for her pleasure then tossed aside. I may have made that mistake once, but I'll be damned if I'll do it again." He snapped. He held up a hand when Chase tried to say something.  
  
"I understand what your saying Chase, and I feel for her loss, believe me I do. But that doesn't even come close to excusing what happened. Maybe it isn't all her fault. I could have stopped things from happened too. But I do know it won't happen again. Keep her away from me Chase. I mean it." He stared into her eyes, letting her see just how serious he was before he turned and headed down the beach, pausing long enough by their supplies to pick up a spear they had made the day before to do some fishing.  
  
Chase let out the breath she had been holding, slowly. She stared after Chris, unsure of what she should do. Part of her wanted to comfort Chris, yet another part wanted to comfort Callie for what she knew she was going through, and at the same time smack her upside her head for hurting Chris.  
  
She also knew that one reason Chris was letting this get to him so badly was more than just a bruised pride and ego. He may have denied it until he was blue in the face, but she knew he had been instantly attracted to Calliope from the moment he first laid eyes on her. Knowing she had a boyfriend only made things worse. Wanting what he couldn't have and having her so close, yet so far out of reach made him almost hostile towards her. And from there, their constant bickering grew.  
  
She'd never really suspected before, but now she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Calliope hadn't been fighting the same attraction, and finally given into it, then pulled back, afraid of what she was feeling.  
  
"Would make sense." She said, thinking out loud.  
  
Now, the only person who could calm Chris down was Calliope. And she highly doubted that Callie would be too willing to go to Chris and open herself up to him like that.  
  
"Oh what a mess." She groaned, rubbing her temples, trying to ward off the headache that was starting to build behind her eyes.  
  
"Damn storm." She glared at the sky, deciding to just blame everything on the weather the night before. She knew there was a reason she disliked storms.  
  
She started chewing on her bottom lip as her thoughts turned to Adam. What the hell was going on there?  
  
"Again, the weather." She told herself. Although she was very attracted to Adam, she knew nothing could come of it, other than friendship. Nothing like what nearly happened would have even come close under normal circumstances. No, they'd still be either completely ignoring each other or at each other's throats.  
  
She closed her eyes, biting back a groan when she envisioned him at her throat, his lips caressing her skin, leaving a trail of hot kisses as he slowly worked his way down to…  
  
"Oooh, NO! Bad girl!" she scolded herself, shaking her head, trying to get rid of the mental picture.  
  
"We're barely even friends." She told herself. "Remember that! Now, think pure thoughts." An image of Adam in his underwear flashed before her eyes.  
  
"That's it!" she fumed, spinning around and walking towards where all their stuff was sitting, safe from the weather in the shelter the guys had built.  
  
She took a moment to admire their work before going in and rummaging through one suitcase, pulling out the suite Callie had told her to use. She needed to cool off…badly. And a dip in the cold ocean water was just what she needed.  
  
After changing quickly, she paused to look at the suit. It certainly didn't leave much to the imagination. Again she wondered about Callie's intentions with this suit. "Good tan, my ass." She giggled. Callie already had a great tan.  
  
She poked her head out, looking around, sighing with relief when she saw no one was around. She figured Adam had found Calliope and it would be awhile before she saw either them or Chris.  
  
"Thank god." She thought to herself, again looking at the suit she was wearing. She wasn't conceited, but she knew she had a good body, just as Calliope did, but the suit was a little more reveling that what she was used too. Neither she nor Callie ever tried to flaunt what they had, which had been another reason she had been shocked by Calliope's choice in bathing suits.  
  
After checking once more, seeing she was indeed alone, she headed off down the beach and into the cold water. She waded in a little ways, then took a deep breath and dove under. She resurfaced seconds later.  
  
"Christ!" she exclaimed, her teeth chattering. She wanted cold, she got cold! The difference in the temperature of the ocean and the little spring was astounding.  
  
After giving herself time to get adjusted to the temperature, she floated on her back, careful to keep a close eye on how far away from shore she was. It was then that she let her mind drift back to Calliope and Chris.  
  
She sighed loudly, hoping and praying someone would come along and rescue them soon. Because she had a feeling the rest of the time spent on the island was going to be anything but pleasant.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued.... 


	4. Lost Paradise -- Part VI

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Eighteen  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Pulling back from the hug, Calliope looked up at Adam. She took in a deep breath and slowly let it out, knowing that he wasn't going to like what she was about to say.  
  
"What is it, Callie?" Adam questioned, seeing in her eyes that she wanted to say something, but she seemed to be having a hard time getting it out.  
  
"I need some time." Calliope began. She looked away for a moment before turning her gaze back to Adam. "Alone." She quickly added in, easily seeing what Adam was about to say.  
  
"Callie, under these circumstances," Adam began as he gestured to the island around them. "I really don't think that is a good idea. What if something happens and we can't find you?"  
  
"What if...what if...It's always 'what if'!" Calliope knew that Adam only meant well, but this was something that she had to do. And she was going to do it whether Adam approved or not. "I'm tired of living on 'what ifs'!" Calliope's demeanor softened visibly as she looked up at Adam and saw the genuine concern in his expressive brown eyes.  
  
"I know that you don't understand...or maybe you do, but this is something I have to do Adam. I don't know how else to explain it. I need to clear my mind and get my thoughts in order...find out what I really feel. I won't go far and I'll be back on the beach by sundown. I promise."  
  
Adam sighed as he reluctantly gave in, though only because knew that Calliope had already made up her mind about this and anything that he said would not make her change it. "Alright." Adam agreed. Although still not liking the idea, he had to respect what she wanted. "Just stay close by." He knew that when she got into one of her 'moods' and needed to work things out for herself, she could walk for hours and miles without realizing it.  
  
Calliope smiled sincerely up at him. "I will." She promised as she pulled him close once again. "Thanks Adam." She whispered against his chest where she had her face buried.  
  
Adam tightened his hold on her. "Anytime Callie, anytime." He replied as he soothingly stroked her hair back from her face. He wasn't ready to let go when Calliope suddenly pulled back out of his arms.  
  
"See ya later." Calliope told him, dropping hint for him to leave.  
  
"Be careful." Adam called as she turned and began walking away in the opposite direction. Calliope stopped and waved at him, letting Adam know that she heard him, then she began walking away again.  
  
*****  
  
As Adam approached the beach, he froze in his tracks when his eyes touched on Chase emerging from the ocean wearing the bathing suit that Calliope had given her. His breath caught sharply in his throat when his eyes swept over her from head to toe and then back up again. He watched as she tipped her head back and shook the water from her hair. The droplets of water raining down on her was one of the most erotically appealing things that he'd ever seen. He groaned out loud as need raged through his desire tightened body.  
  
Realizing what he'd just done, Adam groaned again...silently this time. He looked at Chase, thankful that because of the waves from the ocean, she probably hadn't heard him. As she came closer to where the shelter was, he ducked behind a tree, not wanting her to catch him and think that he was spying on her.  
  
"Then again, isn't that exactly what you're doing?" He silently questioned himself as he shook his head in disbelief.  
  
As Chase walked into the shelter, Adam closed his eyes as he took in a couple of deep breaths, trying desperately to get himself under control. He knew that he was going to have to talk to Chase...she would want to know about Calliope and he couldn't very well walk up to her with a huge erection jutting out of his jeans.  
  
Adam didn't know if he was more disappointed or relieved when Chase walked out of the shelter several minutes later dressed in shorts and a tank top. As she had her back turned to him, Adam quickly dashed back into the jungle a little ways and then walked forward again, making it seemed as if he was just then arriving on the beach.  
  
"Chase!" Adam called her name, not wanting to startle her as he approached her when she still hadn't turned around and seen him. "Where is Chris?" Adam asked as he looked around and didn't see his friend anywhere.  
  
Chase smiled weakly, realizing that she hadn't seen Chris since he'd stalked off earlier. "Well, last I saw him he was going to catch some fish for lunch. I think he needed to blow off some steam more than anything."  
  
"I understand." Adam said softly, feeling bad for Chris as well.  
  
"Did you find Calliope?" Chase asked an instant later.  
  
"Yeah, I found her by the spring. She's beating herself up pretty badly."  
  
Chase sighed. "I knew she would be. Where is she, by the way." She asked expecting to see Calliope come back with Adam and was surprised when she hadn't. "Is she all right?"  
  
"I think she will be." Adam replied, answering Chase's last question first. "She needed some time alone." He paused for a moment and looked at Chase, seeing exactly what she was going to say next. "I didn't like the idea, but what else could I do? She said that she wouldn't go off too far and that she'd be back here by sunset."  
  
Chase and Adam fell silent, each lost in their thoughts about everything that had taken place since they'd been on the island. What had nearly happened between them did not escape their mind. It was still very fresh in each of their thoughts, though both Adam and Chase tried to keep it pushed back. It wasn't easy with the other being so close...so temptingly within reach.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Nineteen  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Fuck." Chris swore viciously, throwing down his spear. He hadn't caught a damn thing, not that he'd really given it any effort. For the most part he'd just been staring off into space, not paying any attention to the fish that happily swam around him.  
  
"Damn you Callie." He muttered softly, rubbing his eyes.  
  
He wanted nothing more than to just forget about what had happened between them, but knew he couldn't. The truth was, he was in love with her. He had been from the moment they first met. She was everything he ever wanted in a woman.  
  
He knew he hadn't exactly done his best to show her how he felt, constantly picking fights with her, but it was the only way he knew to respond to the feelings he felt for her. For a long time he was in denial about just how strongly his feelings went. But the night before, when he'd held her and claimed her, what little piece of his heart he had been desperate to hang on too, he had given up freely and willingly.  
  
No one knew exactly how he felt about her, although at times he thought Chase suspected. He smirked when he remembered her commenting before they left for the airport about him having a thing for Calliope. She had no idea just how correct she was.  
  
He sighed deeply, wondering if maybe he should have handled things differently. Maybe he should have been a little more understanding. But he was hurt, Damn it! There was a big part of him that wanted nothing more than to go find Calliope, shake her, kiss her senseless, and make her realize just how right they were for each other.  
  
But he knew he wouldn't. Chase had said Calliope had been trying to protect herself. Well, he was going to protect himself from the hurt that only Calliope could cause.  
  
With a reluctant sigh, he turned and started wading back to shore, knowing he couldn't hide forever. He was going to have to face Calliope sooner or later. Right now he just hoped it was later than sooner.  
  
***  
  
Her shoulders shook from the force of her anguish, and she was helpless to stop the flow of tears once they started. She didn't have any idea how far she had walked, for the most part being in a trance. But once she had stopped to rest, she had completely broken down.  
  
She was absolutely disgusted with herself for what she did to Chris. She kept seeing him standing there yelling at her telling her she was nothing but a self-absorbed bitch. God, he was right! Although he had lashed out at her, he had been unable to hide the hurt shining in his eyes, and now that look was haunting her.  
  
She buried her face in her hands, her thoughts turning to why she hurt him the way he did. She wanted to let him in, she wanted too so badly. But whenever she let someone close to her, they left her. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle if she lost Chris.  
  
Her head snapped up, her eyes going wide when it hit her. By being afraid to loose him, she'd pushing him away…and lost him.  
  
"Oh God." Her hand flew to her mouth as the realization set in. Her worst fear had come true. She had lost him. And it was all her doing.  
  
She stood up, wiped the tears from her face and started back the way she had come. She knew what she had to do. Her walk was more confident and her jaw was set with determination. She had told Adam she was tired of living in the 'what ifs' and she'd meant it.  
  
Since her parents had died, she had only been a shell of her former self. Chris made her feel alive again. Even before last night, when they were constantly arguing, she allowed herself to feel again. He brought that out in her.  
  
She wasn't going to let this pass her by. For the first time, in a hell of a long time, she knew exactly what she wanted. She bit her lip as she continued walking, knowing this wasn't going to be easy. Chris was not going to just take her back with open arms. Hell, she expected him to put up a fight, and she didn't blame him. But she was determined, and when she set her mind to something, she usually got what she wanted.  
  
She knew she was going to have a lot of explaining and groveling to do. But first and foremost, she wanted to ease the hurt she had caused. She was going to tell him exactly how she felt about him…how she'd felt about him for the past two years, but just hadn't admitted it to anyone, including herself.  
  
"I love him." She said out loud, stopping in her tracks, allowing the words to sink in. A genuine, happy smile lit her face and eyes, and if anyone had seen her, they would know immediately that she was telling the truth.  
  
"I LOVE HIM!" she yelled, ready to tell the world. She giggled softly, thinking that maybe she should tell Chris before announcing it everyone else. She didn't even bother to think that there really weren't a lot of people around at the moment to hear her.  
  
"SHIT!" she exclaimed, her smile disappearing when she felt the sting on her ankle. She looked down, gasping when she saw what it was. A snake! And it had bit her. She hadn't heard the telltale sign of a rattle, but then again she hadn't really been paying attention.  
  
She watched, paralyzed with fear as the snake slithered away. Was that a rattle on the end of its tail? She didn't know the first thing about snakes! She looked down at her leg, seeing the blood trickle from the two puncture wounds and felt sick.  
  
"Oh this is not good!" She looked around wildly, wondering what in the hell to do. She knew she was at least an hour or more away from the beach. She started shaking in fear, but stopped herself, taking a deep breath, telling herself to calm down.  
  
"It probably wasn't even poisonous. You're fine." She assured herself and began walking quickly back to the beach.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, she knew she was in a world of trouble. She stumbled as a wave of dizziness hit her. She glanced down at the bite marks and nearly fainted when she saw the red streaks starting to spread out from the wound. She may not know a lot about snakes, but she knew enough to know the one she had encountered was indeed a deadly snake.  
  
With a whimper, she continued on, only to catch herself as she stumbled again after only a few steps. She felt her foot slip, and had just enough time to register that she was too close to the edge of a ravine, before she felt herself falling. The next thing she knew, everything went black.  
  
***  
  
She woke with a groan, pain shooting through her body. She tried to lift her head, but it felt as if it weighted a ton. She forced her eyes open, fighting against the pain in her head to keep her eyes open.  
  
Calliope noticed that it was a little darker, and knew she must have been out a couple hours. She moved her body around a little, gritting her teeth when her bruised body protested, but sighing with relief when she realized nothing was broken.  
  
She looked up, grateful that the ravine wasn't too deep. She should be able to climb it without too much difficulty. She didn't even bother looking at her leg, knowing the poison had spread from the way her leg was on fire.  
  
"Don't think about it!" she commanded herself. "First get yourself out of here, then worry about it."  
  
She sat up gingerly, her hand going to her head when it immediately started throbbing. She gasped when she pulled her hand back and saw it was covered with blood.  
  
She struggled to her feet, only to be overcome with another wave of dizziness. Only this time she wasn't sure if it was from the bite or the hit on the head. Or a combination of both. She sank back down to her knees, her head lowered and eyes closed.  
  
She knew she had to get moving. Time was running out, and she needed help. She had to get up…now! But she couldn't seem to get her body to respond.  
  
"I'm so tired." She whispered to herself, allowing her body to fall back down to the earth. "I'll just close my eyes for a moment, then I'll get up."  
  
With a sigh of defeat, she allowed the darkness to consume her once more.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Twenty  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"She should have been back by now." Adam stated quietly, the worry is his voice easily heard.  
  
"What?" Chris asked, not really understanding what Adam was talking about. He assumed that he was speaking of Calliope since he hadn't seen her around anywhere. Convincing himself that he didn't care, Chris hadn't bothered to ask where she was.  
  
"Callie...She promised that she would be back on the beach by sundown." Chase answered when Adam hadn't after several minutes. He was worried about Calliope and she could clearly see that. Hell, she was more than a little concerned herself. She watched as Adam got up and walked to the foot of the forest, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of Calliope.  
  
"Well, where is she?" Chris asked. He wasn't really worried...yet. He kept telling himself that being late was something that she was doing purposely, though deep down, he knew better than that. He just wouldn't let himself see that.  
  
"I don't know really. Adam just said that she needed some time alone and that she would be back here by dusk." After that she and Adam had not spoken of Calliope or Chris. They'd spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach acting like a couple of kids. They'd built a sandcastle while laughing and flirting with each other.  
  
"We'll give her a little more time. If she's not back here in a half-hour, we should go look for her." Adam stated as he walked back over to Chase and Chris. He didn't sit back down with them though. He stayed upright, pacing nervously, his worry growing with each second that passed and Calliope didn't show up. His increased agitation was making Chase, and even Chris more frightened for her...though Chris fought hard not to show it.  
  
"I can't wait any longer." Adam stated fifteen minutes later. "I need to go look for her." He had a deep sense of dread as he thought about Calliope. He knew her, and knew that she wouldn't be late coming back unless something was stopping her from doing so.  
  
"I'll go with you." Chase said as she jumped to her feet and walked over to where Adam was standing. They both turned and looked to see if he wanted to go too.  
  
"Maybe one of us should stay here incase she shows up." Chris suggested as he rose to his feet as well, and made his way over to Adam and Chase.  
  
No one said anything. Finally it was Adam who broke the silence. "She's not going to show up." He stated matter of factly. He knew without knowing that that was true.  
  
Chris looked in Adam's eyes and knew that what he was saying was real. He suddenly felt like he couldn't breath...as if he'd been punched in the stomach as a sense of urgency to find Calliope overwhelmed him.  
  
"This is no good!" Adam exclaimed in frustration almost an hour later. There was still no sign of Calliope and now that it was dark out, searching for her any further seemed futile. Under the cover of the dense forest, even the light of the full moon was no help to them. "We'll have to stop until daylight." As much as Adam hated saying those words, he knew that there was nothing else they could do for the time being.  
  
Chris sat down on a rock with a heavy sigh. In the last hour that they'd been looking for her, Chris realized a couple things about Calliope. The first was that he had to find her no matter what. The second was that he loved her. He knew he did. He could no more deny his love for her than he could deny himself air to breath. He also knew that he had to tell her this. And then if she still chose to push him away...Well, then he would have to deal with it and move on.  
  
"Let's just try a little bit longer." Chase suggested before Chris had a chance to say anything.  
  
"Better yet...Let's split up. We can cover more ground that way. We'll meet back on the beach at sun up." Chris said as he stood up again. Then before Chase or Adam had a chance to say anything to agree or disagree with him, Chris turned and began walking way in the opposite direction.  
  
*****  
  
Calliope slowly opened her eyes, wincing at the throbbing in her entire body that had not abated in the slightest in the time that she's been out. In fact, the pain seemed ten times worse than it had been before.  
  
She tried sitting up but it was hopeless. The entire right side of her lower body seemed paralyzed and she could feel that numbing sensation slowly creeping up into the upper part of her body. She tried lifting her head, but even that was much too excruciating and exhausting. Calliope closed her eyes again, feeling darkness settling over her once again.  
  
She opened her eyes again a short tome later, swearing that she could hear someone calling her name, but she really couldn't be sure if it was real or if had been a dream. She decided that it was indeed real when she heard it again.  
  
Calliope tried to call out, but her voice only came out as a whisper. Her throat was so dry and she was simply too weak to be able to accomplish anything more than that. She laid her head back on the ground as she closed her eyes again, a small sigh if defeat escaping her lips. She was going to die right there in that ravine.  
  
If she would have had the strength, Calliope wasn't sure if she would have laughed or cried. It would just figure that once she finally realized that she loved Chris, she was going to die. It wasn't dying that she was afraid of...but rather dying before she had a chance to tell him how she really felt about him was what scared her the most.  
  
"No!" Calliope fiercely told herself some time later when she heard the voice calling her name again. It sounded much closer and she was able to tell that it was Chris.  
  
Calliope knew that this was her only chance. She also knew that she was not probably going to make it. The snakebite would have been enough, but the fall into the ravine on top of that had made things even worse. But at least now she would get the chance to let Chris know how she truly felt first. That thought gave her a bit of renewed energy. Gathering up the minute amount of strength that she could, Calliope lifted her head from the ground.  
  
"Here!" She some how managed to yell pretty loudly. And instant later she heard Chris call her name again. She then heard the sound of his rapidly approaching footsteps before he stopped at the edge of the ravine.  
  
"Callie!" Chris called again. He was certain that he'd heard her, but in the pitch black darkness, he wasn't able to see where she was.  
  
"I'm here." Calliope said again, though not nearly as loud or strongly as her first effort. She laid her head back on the ground, gasping as pain shot through her entire being.  
  
"Oh god." Chris whispered to himself as it began to dawn on him exactly where Calliope was. He looked down into the ravine and could barely make out her form lying on the ground at the bottom.  
  
Chris knew that he had to get down to her, but from where he was standing, the wall of the ravine was much too steep for him to be able to get down safely. He spotted a place on the other side of the ravine where he thought he would be able to make his way down easily.  
  
"Okay hang on, Callie. I'm coming down, but I have to get around to the other side. It's too steep here." Not waiting for Calliope to respond, Chris began on his way.  
  
The ravine was much larger than Chris had expected and with it being dark out, he had to move much slower than he normally could have. By time he got around to the side where it was safe to climb down and got Calliope, he guessed that more than two hours had passed since he'd first found her.  
  
"Callie?" Chris asked softly as he kneeled down beside her. By her lack of response, he was certain that he hadn't gotten to her soon enough. He frantically searched for a pulse and sighed with relief when he found one. But it was very weak.  
  
Standing up again, Chris looked up at the sides of the ravine. He knew that he didn't dare move Calliope until daylight. And even then he had no idea how he was going to get her out of there. He didn't think he'd be able to safely carry her up.  
  
The risk of dropping her or falling himself and even furthering her injuries was too great. He thought that his best bet would be to go back to the beach and get the raft. It had a rope on it and he would be able to put her in it and pull her out that way.  
  
Chris leaned back down when he heard Calliope's pain filled moan. "It's okay...everything is going to be all right." Chris quietly tried to assure her...along with himself.  
  
"Chris..." Chris stopped Calliope before she could say anything more.  
  
"Shhh Callie. Don't try to talk. Just rest." Chris said to her as he carefully brushed her hair back from her forehead.  
  
Calliope lifted her hand and placed it over his. "Chris...please. I need to say this. I may not get another chance."  
  
Chris remained silent as he let her words sink in. What did she mean when she said that she might not get another chance? How bad was she hurt? Before Chris could say anything, Calliope spoke again.  
  
"I've been bitten by a snake, Chris. Then I fell down in this ravine. I know that the snake was a poisonous one. I don't think I broke any bones in the fall, but I hit my head pretty bad. I keep passing out. I don't know if that's from the snakebite, hitting my head, or both. Most of the right side of my body is paralyzed...I can't move it much at all." She paused, wincing as extreme pain rushed through her.  
  
She forced herself to stay focused as she felt the peaceful darkness settling over her again. She was not going to let herself go out again until she said all to Chris that she needed to.  
  
Chris felt a deep sense of dread settle into the pit of his stomach when he heard Calliope's words. Her condition was more serious that he had ever imagined that it was. He closed his eyes, trying to keep himself calm. He was going to need to be able to keep it together for her. He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out, but it did no good to halt the fear racing through him.  
  
"Chris, I have a couple of things that I need to say to you." Calliope continued once the wave of pain abated some.  
  
"First of all, I am so sorry for the hurt that I caused you. I didn't mean to treat you that way. I know that it is no excuse, but I just-" Knowing what she was going to say, Chris cut her off. He knew that he couldn't stop her from saying what she needed to, but he wanted her to preserve as much strength as she could.  
  
"It's okay, Callie. Chase explained everything to me. I do admit that I was hurt, upset, disappointed and so much more. But I've had some time to think everything over and I do understand. I don't regret what happened between up. I just wish that it could have had a different outcome."  
  
"I've had some time to think everything over too. I never meant to hurt you the way that I did." Calliope told him again. "I just didn't know how to deal with the way that I was truly feeling and the only way I knew how was with anger. I'm sorry for causing you so much pain."  
  
Not giving Chris a chance to break in, Calliope immediately continued. "I've done a lot of soul searching today and I realized a couple of things. First I realized that I've been attracted to you all along. But I could never admit it...not even to myself. I was too scared. You have made me feel more alive...even when we were fighting...I felt more alive than I have in a long time. I was scared to lose you, but scared to get close. And in my fear of losing you, I pushed you away...and lost you."  
  
Calliope stopped for a moment to catch her breath, but then spoke again, knowing that she didn't have much time. Her head felt fuzzy, the hands of darkness constantly threatening to pull her under.  
  
"The second thing that I realized is that...I love you, Chris. I know I have since the first time I ever saw you. I'm not scared anymore to admit it to you, to myself, or to anyone else. I love you, Chris." The moment the words were out of her mouth, Calliope's eyes rolled back and then closed as she succumbed to unconsciousness.  
  
Chris tenderly caressed her cheek, knowing that she was out again. "I love you too, Callie."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Twenty One  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chase head snapped up when she heard Adam's voice crack as he called Calliope's name for what seemed like the millionth time. Her own voice was beginning to give out on her. As worried as she was about her friend, and Chris, who had gone off on his own to search for her, she could see the stress and guilt was eating Adam alive.  
  
She wanted nothing more than to take him in her arms and comfort him as best she knew who, but ever since Chris had left, Adam hadn't spoken a word to her, unless it was to warn her to watch her footing, or to shout Callie's name.  
  
She knew that they were putting themselves in danger by continuing to search in the darkness. She sighed to herself, knowing that convincing Adam of that wouldn't be easy. It wasn't that she wanted to stop looking, but the realistic of the situation were telling her they had too…at least until sunrise.  
  
She gasped when she saw Adam stumble in front of her, and rushed forward to help. He had caught himself and was curing under his breath when she reached him. He knew it was pointless to continue searching, but he couldn't bring himself to give up.  
  
"Adam, we need to stop." She said softly, her voice soothing. "We really aren't doing Callie any good right now." She tried to reason with him.  
  
Adam didn't say anything and didn't look at her. His eyes were fixed on the darkness around them, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck.  
  
"I shouldn't have let her go." He whispered, so low Chase almost didn't hear him.  
  
"It's not your fault." She put her hand on his back, feeling his muscles tense at her touch. "You and I both know how Callie is. Once she gets an idea in her head and get s that determined look in her eyes, no one is changing her mind."  
  
"I should have tried harder." Adam shook his head. "I didn't even really try. Now if anything happens to her…" he trailed off, unable to voice his fears out loud.  
  
"She's going to be fine!" Chase exclaimed, trying to push down her own fears for her friend. "I'm sure Chris has already found her."  
  
"Oh yeah, now I feel so much better." Adam muttered, running his hand over his face. "He's been a bitch to be around all day."  
  
Chase shot him a look before turning to look at their surroundings. "He's been hurting Adam, just as Callie has. Cut him a little slack." She gently admonished.  
  
"Besides, you obviously didn't notice the look on his face right before he left. He's just as frantic as you are about Callie. Come hell or high water, I'm willing to bet he found her."  
  
Adam studied her for a minute before speaking. "You're awfully calm." He commented, almost in a grateful way. She was the only thing that was keeping him from freaking out completely.  
  
Chase shrugged and grinned over her shoulder at him. "I work with Chris…I'm used to having to keep my cool under intense situation. It was part of the job description for working with the 'Larger than Life Living Legend'" She quoted with a roll of her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard him chuckle.  
  
His smile quickly faded when he again looked out into the darkness. They both fell silent, and for the first time Adam really let himself think about the situation. He found himself getting unjustifiably angry with Chris.  
  
"Damn him." He swore, his fist clenched tightly at his side.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
He turned his head and saw Chase looking at him confused and realized he had said it out loud. He knew he should just let it go, but the fear, anger, stress and guilt were taking over.  
  
"If he had just left her the hell alone, none of this shit would be happening." Adam ground out as he started to pace.  
  
"Excuse me?" Chase asked, her hands on her hips as she looked at him in disbelief.  
  
"You heard me! Chris has been nothing but a pain in the ass to Callie, and now this!"  
  
"I hate to break this to you, but Callie had just as much to do with what happened as Chris did." Chase countered, quick to jump to Chris' defense. "And it just so happens to be that he's in love with her."  
  
Adam stopped pacing and swung around to stare at Chase. "You've got to be kidding me. That man doesn't know the first thing about love!" It was harsh and untrue and he knew it, but at the moment, Adam couldn't seem to stop himself.  
  
"You don't mean that." Chase shook her head softly, knowing he would regret everything he was saying once he calmed down.  
  
"Chris is your best friend and you know him better than anyone." She reminded him. "And whether you choose to believe me or not, he's in love with her…just as she's in love with him."  
  
"Oh really?" Adam sneered, crossing his arms over his chest. "And when did you become Ms. Cleo?"  
  
Chase glared at him, beginning to reach the end of her patience. "I never claimed to be psychic, I'm just stating the facts."  
  
"Look, this is ridiculous." Adam retorted. "We need to be out there looking for Callie instead of here having a nice little chat."  
  
Chase threw up her hands, having had enough. "You know what? Fine, go look for her. But when you fall and break you damn neck, remember that she is still out there and you won't be able to help her like that." She snapped.  
  
She knew she needed to stay calm, and Adam was just reacting out of fear, but being the levelheaded one was beginning to wear thin. She was having a hard enough time keeping her own self calm, the fear and worry for her friend cutting through her like a knife. She was reaching her breaking point.  
  
"Well, at least I wouldn't have given up, like some people." Adam threw back, not really meaning. He saw the pain cross her face at his words, and wished he could take them back. He knew she was right, that he wasn't doing Callie any good and he needed to stop until daybreak, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He felt as if he were letting her down if he did.  
  
Taking a deep breath, not commenting, Chase turned her back to him and started walking away. If she didn't just walk away, she was either going to say something she'd regret later or get violent. She wanted nothing more at the moment that to hit him upside the head…hard.  
  
Adam lunged forward and caught her arm, stopping her before she could take more than a few steps. He turned her around to face him, his hands still on her arms.  
  
"I'm sorry." He said gruffly. "I didn't mean that."  
  
Chase jerked out of his grasp, glaring up at him. "Seems this island makes people say things they don't mean." She snapped. She was still stinging from Chris's comment earlier in the day, although she had forgiven him for it. Adding this one on top of it just rubbed salt in open wounds.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked softly, confusion written on his face, along with regret.  
  
"Nothing." She mumbled, looking down, taking another deep breath before looking up to meet his gaze, her eyes flashing. "Look, I know your worried about Callie, and so am I. And I'm not 'giving up'." She ground out through clenched teeth.  
  
"And you know what? I'm sick and tired of being yours and Chris's personal punching bags!" she yelled, having worked herself into a fine fury. "Next time you want to bite someone's head off, make sure it isn't mine!"  
  
Adam's breath caught in his throat as he looked down at her. Never had she looked so…breathtaking. The way she was standing there, her hands on her hips, her eyes spitting blue fire at him, was more than he could take, and what little restraint he'd been able to keep since waking up earlier that morning, snapped.  
  
"So go look for her!" Chase continued ranting, missing the desire that passed across his face, blinding by anger. "See if I care!" With that she spun around again, intent on walking away. Only again, he stopped her, before she was even able to get all the way around.  
  
She gasped in surprise when she suddenly found herself pressed fully against him. She looked up at him shocked, unable to find her voice, not that she'd need it. A second later, his mouth came crashing down on hers in a hot, demanding kiss that completely stole her breath away.  
  
She stayed stiff in his arms, until his tongue snaked out and traced her lips, seeking entrance. With a groan of defeat, she relaxed against him, and opened her mouth, allowing him the access he was desperate to receive.  
  
She went up on tiptoes, increasing the pressure on his mouth, his deep groan encouraging her as her arms went around his neck, her fingers tangling in his long hair.  
  
With their tongues dueling wildly, he lowered them both to the ground, not caring where they were, just knowing he couldn't take any more, or wait any longer. He had to have her….now, and the way she was responding to him, wriggling beneath him, he knew she felt he same.  
  
He tore his mouth away, breaking the kiss, only when oxygen became an absolute must. Breathing heavily, they stared into each other's eyes. Her hands still in his hair, she urged his head back down to hers. Only this time he kissed her slowly, putting all the passion he felt for her into it. She arched against him, her hands going in between their bodies to pull his shirt over his head.  
  
She smiled when she felt his muscles tighten beneath her touch, and the shiver that went through him made the desire burn brighter in her eyes. Before she knew it, their clothes were strewn around them, and he was kissing his way down her body, just the way she had imagined.  
  
She arched her back and cried out in pleasure when she felt his mouth close around her sensitive nipple. Her fingers tightened in his hair, almost painfully, but it only inflamed him more. She held him close, closing her eyes in ecstasy as his worked his magic with his lips, tongue and teeth.  
  
"Adam." She moaned in pleasure, a note of pleading in voice. He lifted his head, his eyes again meeting hers.  
  
"God I want you." He said huskily, his eyes bright with emotions she couldn't place, but had her heart racing. "I've wanted you for so long." He admitted, not only to her, but himself also. It was then that he realized just how much he wanted her, and the emotions he was feeling was more than just lust and need. It ran deeper...heart wrenchingly deeper.  
  
She reached up and traced his full lips with her fingertips, smiling softly at him, allowing all that she felt for this man to shine through. She was tried of hiding what she felt for him, and she wouldn't do it anymore. She knew she was opening herself up completely to him, but found she didn't want to hold back. She was willing to give her heart over completely to this man. Hell, he already had her heart.  
  
"Make love to me, Adam." She whispered, staring deep into his eyes. At her words, he closed his eyes, his big body shuddering against hers, as he fought for control. After a moment he opened his eyes, bent his head and kissed her tenderly.  
  
Shifting his body slightly, he pulled back and entered her with one long, hard, powerful thrust, both of them crying out in pleasure as their bodies became one.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Twenty Two  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Slowly blinking his eyes open, Chris let out a soft groan as he sat up and rubbed the back of his neck before running his hand over his face. He looked around the interior of the ravine in confusion, wondering why and how he was there. It all came rushing back to him when he glanced over his shoulder and saw Calliope lying on the ground behind him. He remembered looking for her and then finding her.  
  
He also remembered what she'd said to him before she'd lost consciousness again. Chris smiled softly as he recalled her words to him. She loved him...she always had. Just as he had her. Suddenly feeling angry at the time that they'd wasted, Chris pounded his fist into the ground in frustration. The two years that they'd spent arguing bitterly with each other, they could have spent together...if only each of them had been able to realize and admit their feelings for each other.  
  
Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Chris spun around and kneeled down beside Calliope. She was so completely motionless and pale that he became very afraid that she hadn't made it through the night. He searched frantically for her pulse and sat back in relief when he found one. But it was weak and irregular. Her condition was very critical. He knew that. And he knew that she knew it too.  
  
His eyes wondered down her leg to touch on the twin puncture wounds at her ankle. As if the bite and then the fall weren't enough, it looked like the wounds were well on their way to being infected. His eyes took in the rest of her body, seeing the bruises, scrapes, and cuts from the fall into the ravine. He gently lifted her head and found the deep laceration at the base of her skull. He winced when he saw the blood in her hair and on the ground.  
  
Leaning forward again, Chris gently brushed his fingers across her cheek. "Callie?" He frowned when he didn't get a response. He tried again and still received nothing from her. Chris tried again for the third. He was filled with relief when he saw her eyes flutter and open for a brief instant before closing again. Calliope pushed her eyelids up again, forcing them to stay open as she tried to focus her sight on Chris. She closed her eyes once more, the pain pounding in her head at having them was much to excruciating and she was simply too tired and weak to be able to keep them open. She whimpered softly in defeat and in fear as tears stung underneath her closed eyes.  
  
Chris took in a deep breath and slowly let it out as he fought to keep his emotions at bay for the time being. He had to keep strong for her. Taking hold of her hand, Chris opened his mouth to speak, forcing his voice to come out strong and steady.  
  
"It's okay, Callie. You don't have to keep your eyes open." Chris paused for a moment when his voice wavered slightly. Her hand was completely limp within his. The only thing that kept him from loosing it completely was to concentrate his focus on getting her out of the ravine and telling himself that everything would be just fine. He glanced up at the sky and saw the sun rising over the horizon, reminding him that he had agreed to meet Chase and Adam back at the beach at daylight.  
  
"Calliope, listen to me. I have to leave you for a little while. I need to get back to the beach. I have to get-" Chris stopped when Calliope suddenly gripped his hand tightly.  
  
"No...please don't leave me here alone." Calliope begged, her voice weak and filled with pain and fear. "Please Chris...I don't want to be alone if I-" Her pain laden gasp stopped her words before they could all be spoken..  
  
Carefully placing his hands on each side of her face, Chris leaned in closer until the tip of his nose touched hers. He talked softly to her until she relaxed a bit and the pain seemed to subside slightly.  
  
"I'll be back, Callie. I promise." Chris told her, his lips lightly brushing hers as he did so.  
  
"Chris...ple-" Calliope tried pleading once more, but her voice failed her.  
  
Chris wanted nothing more than to stay there with Calliope, but he knew that he couldn't. He also knew that he couldn't wait any longer to get going either. He needed to get back to the beach, get the raft, get back to Calliope and get her out of that ravine. Hopefully some where along the way he'd run into Adam and Chase, but if he didn't that was fine too. His main focus was on Calliope. And since her being in the predicament that she was in was half his fault, he was determined to help her and make things up to her.  
  
"I will be back." Chris promised again, putting strong emphasis on each of his words. "But I have to get going now."  
  
Chris pressed his lips fully against hers before pulling back just enough to be able to see her face. He smiled gently down at her when he saw her eyes open.  
  
Leaning forward, Chris kissed her once more. "I love you, Callie." He whispered against her lips a moment later.  
  
Chris' smile broadened when he saw the surprise register in her eyes, but she didn't question him. He watched as her eyes then began to take on a far away look and he knew that she was close to drifting out again, but at least she heard him this time when he said that he loved her.  
  
"I love you too." Calliope murmured softly. An instant later Chris felt her body go slack again. In a way, he was relieved that she wouldn't be awake while he was gone. He hated to think of her being alone there, scared and in pain. He hoped that when she was unconscious, she didn't feel any pain. They down side of her being unconscious was the possibility of her slipping into a coma and not waking up.  
  
Chris stayed with her a few minutes longer before he rose to his feet and climbed out of the ravine the same way that he'd gotten in there. Once out, he took off in a full sprint toward the beach.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Twenty Three  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chase kept glancing at Adam out of the corner of her eye, waiting and wondering if he was going to say anything, or give her the silent treatment for the rest of their lives.  
  
She was afraid he regretted what had happened between them, and knew she should take the initiative and find out what was going on in that head of his, but in all honesty, she was scared to find out.  
  
The night before had been filled with so much passion; it was beyond anything she had ever experienced in her entire life. They had only slept for maybe a few hours, the rest of the time spent talking and exploring each other's bodies. It had been heaven.  
  
But with daybreak, Adam seemed to draw away from her and into his own little shell. Since they had gotten dressed and started back towards the beach, it was like she had been thrown back in time to when they were completely ignoring each other.  
  
"Maybe he does regret it." Her mind screamed, and she had to blink rapidly, surprised by the sudden sting of tears. Had she just been a distraction for him? Something to get his mind off the fear and guilt he was feeling?  
  
She had always prided herself in the fact that she stayed in control of her emotions. She never let them run wild, and never gave her heart out…she'd learned the hard way from that, and swore never to do it again.  
  
And here she had just given everything this to this man, who up to a few days ago hadn't had a civil conversation with. And she wanted to give him more…hell how much more could she give him, really? Even if he didn't know it, she had given her heart to him the night before.  
  
She stopped walking, the thoughts swirling around in her head. For the first time in her life, she was in love. Totally and completely in love. She was no longer in control on her emotions. Adam could make her the happiest woman alive, or completely devastate her, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.  
  
Adam paused when he realized Chase wasn't walking next to him, and turned around. She was standing a few feet back, her head down, her long hair falling over her shoulders, hiding her face.  
  
"Chase?" he called. She slowly lifted her head and looked at him. What he saw in her eyes nearly sent him to his knees…the raw emotion.  
  
"W-what was that?" she stumbled over her words slightly.  
  
"What?" Adam asked, looking around, trying to see if he'd missed something.  
  
"That…that back there." She gestured behind her, back the way they had just come. "What was it?"  
  
It took a moment for him to comprehend what she was talking about and when he did he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, searching desperately for the answer she was seeking. He hadn't been able to think of anything else, and for that, he felt even guiltier towards Callie. He couldn't afford to get distracted right now, no matter how badly he wanted too.  
  
After Calliope was found, they could sit down and figure out exactly what was going on.  
  
"Chase—" he started, but she stopped him.  
  
"Don't!" she stated, taking a couple steps forward, until she was standing directly in front of him, close enough where they could feel each other's body heat.  
  
"Just tell me, what was it?" she nearly begged, her eyes pleading with him.  
  
"Honestly," he said solemnly, "I don't know."  
  
She jerked back from him as if she'd been punched, the color draining from her face, her eyes going wide before she was able to get herself under control. She bent her head and took a deep breath, then nodded.  
  
"Okay." She whispered shakily.  
  
Adam reached out and touched her arm, but she reacted as if he'd burnt her, pulling back again and moving around him, ready to continue back to the beach.  
  
That hadn't come out like he'd meant it too...he wanted her to know that it had meant the world to him, but he really couldn't concentrate on it right now. He gritted he teeth, ready to smack himself when he fully realized how what he had just said sounded. God, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.  
  
"I didn't mean it like it sounded…I just need to concentrate on Callie right now."  
  
He tried to explain, his own eyes begging her to understand, and she may have, if she had been looking. "We can talk--"  
  
"No, it's fine." She interrupted over her shoulder, not bothering to look at him.  
  
"And you're completely right, we need to concentrate on Calliope. So, let's go." She started off, walking briskly away, ignoring him when he called her name.  
  
She barely saw where she was going, blinded by tears. She wiped her hand across her eyes, silently cursing herself for letting go the way she had. When would she learn?  
  
Wrapped up in her own misery, she didn't hear the sound of pounding feet, nor Adam's shout of warning. She looked up just in time to see Chris come barreling through the trees before he slammed into her, completely knocking the wind out of her as their bodies connected, sending them both to the ground.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Twenty Four  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chris sat on the ground for several minutes breathless from running and in a daze before he realized that it was a person that he'd run into and not a tree as he'd originally thought. He immediatly jumped to his feet and rushed over to where Chase was still lying on the ground, staring up at the sky as stars danced before her eyes.  
  
"Are you okay?" Chris questioned as he helped her to sit up.  
  
"Apart from a headache, I think I'll live." Chase tried to joke, but it came out sounding fake and humorless. But if Chris noticed, he didn't show it.  
  
"You know," Chris began as he stood up and held out his hand to help chase to her feet also. "I was hoping that I'd run into you and Adam, but I didn't mean it quite so literally."  
  
"Chris, did you find Callie?" Adam asked before Chase or Chris could say anything more.  
  
Chris looked away for a moment, his brilliant blue eyes clouding again with fear and he again felt a sense of urgency to get back to Calliope. "Yes," Chris started as he turned back to Adam.  
  
"Is she okay?" Adam questioned before Chris could elaborate any further. He held his breath and said a silent prayer for her well-being as he waited for Chris to reply.  
  
"No." Chris answered with brutal honesty. There was no time for beating around the bush now.  
  
As Chase listened to Chris telling about what happened to Calliope, she was suddenly overwhelmed with a tremendous amount of guilt and she began to fully understand how Adam was feeling. She felt selfish for the way things had gone between them just moments ago...for thinking of herself first and not of what Adam was so obviously feeling. Yes, her and Adam still needing to talk, but not until later.  
  
"So I figure the safest way to get her out of there is by using the raft. I was just on my way to get that when I ran into you two." Chris finished telling Adam and Chase what was all going on.  
  
"We'll go with you." Chase stated, answering for both Adam and herself as she began walking once again toward the beach. Adam and Chase immediatly followed behind her.  
  
*****  
  
"There...there is the ravine." Chris pointed to their place of destination. Once seeing it, the three of them felt a renewed sense of urgency to get there and their paced picked up considerably.  
  
"Sweet Jesus..." Adam hissed under his breath when his eyes touched on Calliope laying at the bottom of the ravine. Tears stung his eyes as guilt consumed him. He should have tried to stop her...he should have tried much harder than he had.  
  
Dropping the end of the raft that he was carrying, Adam rushed around to the side of the ravine where Chris had told him was safe to get down. Within moments, he was at Calliope's side.  
  
Adam cursed softly as his eyes took in the condition that Calliope was in. Chris had said that she was in bad shape, but he never thought that it would be like this. Reaching out, Adam gently touched her cheek. His fear for her heightened when he felt how hot she was. She was burning up with a fever.  
  
"Callie?" Adam called her name, trying to rouse her. All he got from her was silence. He tried several times more with the same result.  
  
"She's unresponsive." Adam said as Chris and Chase approached.  
  
His eyes clouding darker with additional worry, Chris rushed around Calliope and kneeled down at her side across from Adam. "Callie?" As he called her name. Chris gently shook her shoulder with one hand while he tenderly caressed her cheek with the other. After getting no response at all from her, he took hold of her hand and felt his heart drop. He could feel her slipping away from them.  
  
As Adam watched Chris with Calliope it became very apparent to him that Chase had been sincere when she'd said that Chris was in love with Calliope. All it took was one look into his friend's eyes to tell that.  
  
"Oh my God!" Chase exclaimed all of a sudden as she looked up, her eyes searching the sky. "Do you guys here that?"  
  
It sounded like there was a helicopter approaching from the distance.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued.... 


	5. Lost Paradise -- End

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter Twenty Five  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You two stay with Callie." Chase exclaimed as she jumped to her feet. She got up the side of the ravine quicker than she thought possible, and took off running for the beach, knowing that was the only possible way for anyone to see her from the air.  
  
Fear for Calliope's life encouraged her to run faster, and she reached the beach in record time. She quickly forgot her breathlessness when she saw the helicopter hovering.  
  
"HERE!" she screamed, waving her arms frantically. A relieved sob tore from the very depths of her soul when the pilot waved to her, indicating that he saw her. She stood back, tears streaming unnoticed down her face as the helicopter touched down.  
  
She ran up to the uniformed men who stepped out, barely registering that they must be with the coast guard. Thank god, they would be able to get Calliope help...hopefully before it was too late.  
  
"Thank god we fou-" one of the men started to say, but Chase cut him off. They didn't have time for talk...Calliope needed action!  
  
"This way, follow me, and hurry!" she ordered, then turned and ran back into the woods. The men exchanged a look, then took off after her after grabbing some medical supplies, which they instinctively knew they were going to need.  
  
They followed her in silence, only catching up with her when she stopped at the edge of the ravine.  
  
"Down there." She pointed. "She's been bitten by a snake, then fell down the ravine. She's fading fast." She updated them, her voice relatively steady, although her eyes were wild and her heart was pounding in fear.  
  
Then men nodded and quickly made their way down the ravine. Adam and Chris both moved out of the way, knowing help had arrived, although they stayed pretty close by, their eyes not leaving Calliope's still form.  
  
"She doesn't have a pulse." One of the guys said. Adam closed his eyes, while tears flooded Chase's eyes. She stepped forward and put her arm around Chris who was trembling. Never taking his eyes from the woman he loved, he pulled Chase closer, grateful for the comfort she was offering.  
  
They all three watched, their hearts in their throats, as the men worked feverishly to save Calliope's life.  
  
***  
  
"We've got her somewhat stabilized." One of the paramedics informed them, a little while later. Before they could really absorb what he had said and breathe a sigh of relief, he continued.  
  
"She is by far out of the woods, and if we don't get her to a hospital right away, we may very well loose her." He told them, his heart going out to the three people standing before him.  
  
"We're getting her ready for transport, but unfortunately we only have room for two people. Under normal circumstances we would have one of our crew stay behind, but for Calliope's sake, we can't do that this time. One of you has to stay here. Once we're in the air, we'll radio in and have someone pick up whoever stays behind."  
  
Chase looked at both Chris and Adam, seeing the stricken look on their faces. She knew what she had to do, and took a deep breath. "I'll stay." She said firmly.  
  
"What? No!" Chris countered as he spun around to face her. Although he knew she wouldn't be left alone for more than a few hours or so, there was no way he was going to let her stay on this island by herself.  
  
"Chris, it'll be fine." She assured him, giving him her best fake smile, hoping he didn't see right through it. She wanted nothing more than to go with Calliope and make sure her friend was okay, but she knew Chris and Adam needed to be with her more.  
  
"Don't worry about me." She said sternly. "Concentrate on Callie." She knew she had made her point when his eyes immediately went to the woman he loved. Her heart broke at the fear she saw in his eyes.  
  
"Go, Chris." She urged gently, smiling softly when he started moving in Calliope's direction. 'Hang on, Callie.' She thought to herself. 'You have no idea just how much you have to live for.' She silently prayed to her friend.  
  
"We'll have another plane on the way as soon as possible." The pilot told her. She nodded and watched as he turned and ran over to the helicopter and got in, preparing for take off.  
  
"You don't have to do this."  
  
"Yes I do." She said before turning her head to look at Adam. "It's time to stop being selfish." She said softly.  
  
"About before...I-I'm sorry. You were right." She looked down at the ground. She felt horrible about what had happened between them before. She'd been worrying about what had happened between her and Adam when her best friend's life was hanging in the balance.  
  
"Chase-" he started but she cut him off.  
  
"You better go. It looks like they are about ready to take off." She pointed. Suddenly she spun around to face him again, her eyes bright with tears. "Adam, tell Callie to hang on and I'll see her soon. Tell her, I love her." She pleaded, a single tear slipping down her cheek.  
  
He reached forward and wiped away the tear. He pulled her into his embrace, holding her close for a few seconds, before pulling back and looking deep into her eyes.  
  
"I'll be back." He promised gruffly. More tears slipped from her eyes as she watched him run to the helicopter. She turned her back to them, unable to watch as they took off. She closed her eyes and sent more prayer up for her friend.  
  
She kept assuring herself that Calliope would be okay. Chris would never let her leave him so easily, especially after finally realizing how much she meant to him. She squeezed her eyes tighter when the engines roared louder, and she was able to make out the sound of the helicopter leaving the ground.  
  
When strong hands came down on her shoulders, she let out a strangled cry and spun around, nearly falling over her own feet in surprise and fright.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" she yelled, partially in confusion and the other part to be heard over the loud engines.  
  
"I can't leave you here alone." Adam yelled back. He'd known right away he couldn't leave her, and had gone to give Calliope her message and one of his own. He knew Calliope would kick his and Chris's ass if she found out they had left Chase on the island by herself.  
  
He also knew Calliope was in the best hands possible. She was with Chris. Adam pulled Chase back into his arms, and together they watched as the helicopter took off, neither saying a word, even as it disappeared out of sight.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Epilogue  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Well, how do I look?" Chase asked as she turned away from the full-length mirror that she'd been standing in front of with a shaky and watery smile.  
  
Calliope smiled benevolently at her friend. "You're so beautiful." She replied softly, her voice filled with sincerity.  
  
Blinking back the threatening tears, Chase walked over to where Calliope was standing and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you." She whispered as she pulled back and looked into Calliope's eyes. "You're so beautiful too."  
  
"Quit." Calliope gently admonished as she wiped a tear from her eyes. "You're going to make me mess my make up."  
  
"Who would have ever thought?" Chase wondered out loud as she looked down at her stunning white wedding dress while her hand reached up to touch the veil perched atop her head. Six months ago she would have never...ever guessed that in just a few minutes she'd be walking down the aisle to marry Adam.  
  
Things had happened so fast that it still made her head spin thinking about it. After getting off of the island, she and Adam were taken to the same hospital that Calliope had been. As the doctors were still busy with Calliope, they had been taken to an exam room down the hall to be checked over themselves. Chase and Adam were relieved to see Chris in there as well, but by the grim expression hardening his handsome features, they knew that things weren't good for Calliope.  
  
As if the complications from the snakebite and the fall into the ravine were not critical enough, Calliope was also severely dehydrated and she had a serious infection stemming from the wounds acquired when she'd been bitten. While still in an unconscious state, she was kept sedated and on a ventilator in the intensive care unit. It was touch and go for a week before Calliope finally snapped out of it and everyone knew that she was going to be all right.  
  
Once Adam and Chase knew that Calliope was out of the woods, they took the time to talk. And they both soon realized that there was nothing to talk about. They both knew that there was something amazing between them and there was no sense in denying it or putting it off. Chase knew that Adam hadn't used her as a distraction that night and that he didn't regret what had happened between them. He'd just been worried and felt guilty about Calliope and didn't know how to express it.  
  
From that point on, Chase and Adam had been inseparable and it was only a few months later when Adam asked her to marry him, which brought them to where they were that day.  
  
Things had gone just as smoothly for Chris and Calliope, but there was an additional unexpected twist to their situation.  
  
Her recovery had been slow going at first, but with each day passing, Calliope became stronger. Having Chris constantly at her side giving her strength and encouragement pushed her recovery along even quicker. She was released from the hospital after two weeks. It was a month later when she discovered that she had become pregnant the night that she and Chris had been together on the island.  
  
There had been a lot of stress and worry that the baby would suffer ill effects from the snakebite and the drugs that Calliope had been given at the hospital to help keep her alive, but so far nothing had been detected on the three sonograms that she'd had. Chris and Calliope tried to take it only day by day though because they wouldn't be certain until the baby was born or even after that if there had been any consequences.  
  
Calliope was snapped out of her thoughts when there was a light knock on the door. Her eyes lit up and she smiled softly when she saw Chris poke his head in.  
  
"It's about-" he trailed off when his eyes rested on the two women in the room. His breath caught, as it always did, whenever he looked at Calliope. Pregnancy had done nothing but enhance her beauty. Although she as showing, she didn't look nearly as far along as she was. She was still very tiny, and the only difference was the slight swell to her belly.  
  
Chase snapped him out of his daze when she walked over and pulled him into the room completely. "Are you going to do it?" she whispered, looking anxiously at him.  
  
Chris smiled down at her, praying that Adam realized just how lucky he was to have found, and captured her heart. "You look amazing." He said, leaning down to kiss her on her cheek.  
  
Chase grinned up at him. "Thank you, but quit changing the subject."  
  
"I was about too." He admitted, glancing over at Calliope, who was standing in front of the mirror, making sure her hair wouldn't fall down.  
  
"Oooh!" Chase clapped her hands together in excitement. "How much time do we have?" she asked.  
  
Chris glanced down at his watch. "About fifteen minutes."  
  
She nodded. "Okay, I'm going to go check on the other brides maids, I'll be right back." She called over to Calliope, who waved return.  
  
Chris waited until the door was closed before he turned his full attention back Calliope. He walked over to her, grinning at her through the mirror. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her back against him, as his hands rested on her stomach, settling over their growing child.  
  
"You're breathtaking." He whispered as he dipped his head and placed a kiss on her exposed neck, feeling the shivers that coursed through her body.  
  
"Mmm, you look mighty fine yourself, Mr. Irvine." She responded, turning in his arms, taking in his Tuxedo. "Although I really think I prefer the leather pants." She teased, tilting her head back to look up at him.  
  
Chris stared deep into her eyes, not saying anything for a few seconds. When he did speak, his voice was deep and rough with emotion. "I love you. You are my entire life, and I never want to be without you." He gently cupped her cheek.  
  
She leaned into his touch. "I'm not going anywhere." She promised him. Ever since getting off the island, Chris would sometimes have nightmares that they were unable to save her in time. "I'm here...right where I want to be."  
  
"You've given me so much." Chris continued. "You gave me your heart, your love, respect, and in turn gained all of me. And now, you're giving me our child. I love you more than anything."  
  
Calliope's eyes flooded with tears at his words. Although he always told her how he felt, something seemed different about this moment. Her eyes went wide when he gracefully went down on one knee before her.  
  
"Chris..." she trailed off, her mouth open in surprise. She knew that they would always be together, but after finding out she was pregnant and worrying about the baby's health and safety, they had never had a chance to really discuss the future.  
  
"Marry me." He pleaded, looking up into her eyes. Biting her lip, Calliope smiled as the tears slipped down her cheeks.  
  
"Yes." She answered with no hesitation.  
  
***  
  
After checking on the bridesmaids and seeing everything was in order, Chase slipped away from everyone, going into the parish to just have a few moments alone. She smiled to herself, knowing that at about this moment, Chris and Calliope were engaged.  
  
It was truly a miracle the way everything had worked out...for all of them. In just a few minutes, she would be walking down the aisle and professing her love for Adam before all their friends, family and God.  
  
She closed her eyes and sent up a silent thank you to the man above for all the blessings he had bestowed on all of them. She heard the door open behind her, and felt the familiar sensation on the pit of her stomach. She grinned and shook her head knowingly.  
  
"You know, it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding." She called out teasingly without opening her eyes or tuning around. She felt him move behind her and leaned back against him, his low chuckle coming close to her ear.  
  
"I couldn't resist." Adam admitted, swallowing hard past the lump that had formed in his throat the instant he had opened the door and saw her standing there.  
  
She turned around to face him and what little breath he did have left was then gone. "My god." He breathed, gazing down at his soon to be wife. She blushed slightly at the look in his eyes, then went up on tiptoes and brushed her lips across his.  
  
She stepped back slightly and took in his appearance as well. "Wow." She breathed. "I'm thinking that it's going to be a new rule that you have to wear one of these every week." She fingered the collar of his Tux jacket.  
  
Adam snorted and made a face. "But they are so damn uncomfortable."  
  
"Yeah, but think of how much fun it will be to get you out of it." She giggled, her eyes taking on a mischievous gleam that had his heart pounding.  
  
His hands came up and framed her face as he bent forward and caught her lips with his, putting all the love he had for her into the kiss. A few minutes later, they broke apart, both of them breathing heavily, their eyes clouded over with passion.  
  
"Come on." Chase took his hand and started pulling him to the door, anxious and more than ready to take that next step. "Let's go get married!"  
  
  
  
The End...  
  
For Now... 


End file.
